Types and Elements of Poetry

Types of Poetry

1. Lyric Poetry: 

It is any poem with one speaker (not necessarily the poet) who expresses strong thoughts and feelings. Most poems, especially modern ones, are lyric poems. Lyric (elegy, ode, sonnet and dramatic monologue and most occasional poetry) explores or expresses a state of feeling rather than narrates an event.

2. Narrative Poem: 

It is a poem that tells a story; its structure resembles the plot line of a story [i.e. the introduction of conflict and characters, rising action, climax and the denouement]. (ballad, epic)

3. Descriptive Poem: 

It is a poem that describes the world that surrounds the speaker. It uses elaborate imagery and adjectives. While emotional, it is more "outward-focused" than lyric poetry, which is more personal and introspective.

Elements of Poetry

1. Stanza

• tercet (3 lines)
• quatrain (4 lines)
• cinquain (5 lines)
• sestet/sexain (6 lines)
• septet (7 lines)
• octave (8 lines)

    2. Number of Lines

    3. Rhyme Scheme 

• abab
• abba
• abcdeb(some are not in a rhythmic pattern)

    4. Syllabes