Poetry Forms

Have you been struggling with ideas on what form of poetry to write?

Let me help you!

Here's 10 different forms of poetry that you can use to write with, along with examples I've linked for you...

1. Narrative

A narrative poem tells the story of an event in the form of a poem. There is a strong sense of narration, characters, and plot. This is a wonderful way to create an interesting visual and understanding for the reader.

Here's an example of a Narrative Poem.

2. Couplet

A couplet is two lines of verse which rhyme and form a unit alone or as part of a poem.

Here's an example of a Couplet Poem.

3. Free Verse

This is my favorite form of writing! A free verse poem doesn't follow any rules. This poem's construction is completely up to you! Rhyming, syllable count, punctuation, number of lines, number of stanzas, and line formation can be done however the author wants in order to convey the idea. I love pairing these poems with Fantasy Form.

4. Fantasy Form

This is certainly one of my favorites. You can use whichever particular writing technique to construct this one, but the point is to create vivid imagery for the reader to dive into, much like as reading a fantasy book, but to use your words meticulously so the reader is able to get such an experience in just a few sentences.

Here is my example of Fantasy Form.

5. Sonnet

A sonnet is a short rhyming poem with 14 lines with a different rhyme scheme. There are many different rhyme schemes to choose from, if you want to learn more on how to construct a sonnet, visit FamilyFriend Poems.

Sonnets use iambic meter in each line and use line-ending rhymes.

Here is an example of a Sonnet.

6. Pantoum

A pantoum is a poem that uses a lot of repetition. To create this poem, follow these steps.

Write a quatrain (4 line stanza). Writing emotional lines usually works best.

Take lines 2 and 4 of the first stanza and make them lines 1 and 3 of the second stanza.

Take lines 2 and 4 of the second stanza and make them lines 1 and 3 of the third stanza.

Continue your poem using this pattern.

For your last stanza, go back to the first stanza of the poem. Make line 3 of the first stanza line 2 of your last. Make line 1 of the first stanza line 4 in your last.

Source: FamilyFriend Poems

7. Haiku

This ancient form of poem writing is renowned for its small size as well as the precise punctuation and syllables needed on its three lines.

Haiku's are composed of 3 lines, each a phrase. The first line typically has 5 syllables, second line has 7 and the 3rd and last line repeats another 5. In addition there is a seasonal reference included.

Here is an example of a Haiku poem.

8. Elegy

An Elegy is a type of poem that typically expresses a lament for the dead. These poems are typically used as a form of grieving or praising a lost one.

Here is an example of an Elegy.

9. Metaphor Poem

A Metaphor Poem is created with a particular metaphor placed in one of the structures I listed above.

Here's an example of a Metaphor Poem.

10. Short Poem

A Short Poem would typically follow a Free Form writing style. These poems are great to be used to pack a punch in just a few lines.

Here's my example of a Short Poem.

I hope these were helpful and you feel a bit more inspired to start writing again!