Forms

Haiku
The haiku (or hokku) is an ancient form of Japanese poetry that has become
extremely popular all over the world. Renowned for its small size, haikus consist of
just three lines (tercet); the first and third lines have five syllables, whereas the
second has seven. Haikus do not have to rhyme and are usually written to evoke a
particular mood or instance. So, you can have a lot of fun with them! You may have
written or will find yourself writing your own haiku at some point in school, or you
can get creative and try it at home, too.

Free verse
Free verse is a trendy style of modern poetry, and as its name suggests there is a fair
amount of freedom when it comes to authoring a poem like this. Free verse can
rhyme or not, it can have as many lines or stanzas as the poet wants, and it can be
about anything you like! So, while free verse may sound simple enough, the lack of
rules makes this form of poetry tricky to master!

Sonnet
This old form of poetry was made famous by none other than William Shakespeare,
but the sonnet originated in 13th century Italy where it was perfected by the poet
Petrarch. The word ‘sonnet’ is derived from the Italian word ‘sonnetto’ which means
‘little song.’ Traditionally, sonnets are made up of 14 lines and usually deal with love.
As a rule, Petrarchan (Italian) sonnets follow an ABBA ABBA CDE CDE rhyme scheme,
whereas Shakespearean (English) sonnets are typically ABAB CDCD EFEF GG. But of
course, rules are made to be broken!

Acrostic
Like haikus, you are likely to encounter acrostic poems at school! But that does not
mean they are boring – in fact, far from it! This type of poetry spells out a name,
word, phrase, or message with the first letter of each line of the poem. It can rhyme
or not, and typically the word spelt out, lays down the theme of the poem. Why not
try it with the silliest word you can think of – it can be fun!

Villanelle
The villanelle is another old form of poetry that came from France and has lots of
rules. It is made up of 19 lines; five stanzas of three lines (tercet) each and a final
stanza of four lines (quatrain). As you can see from the rhyme scheme; ABA ABA ABA
ABA ABA ABAA, this type of poem only has two rhyming sounds. Plus, there is a lot of
repetition throughout the villanelle. Line one will be repeated in lines six, 12 and 18;
and line three will be repeated in lines nine, 15 and 19. So although this takes out the
extra work of having to write 19 individual lines, the challenge is to make meaning
out of those repeated lines!

Limerick
Limericks are funny (and sometimes rude!) poems which were made popular by
Edward Lear in the 19th century. They have a set rhyme scheme of AABBA, with lines
one, two and five all being longer in length than lines three and four. The last line is
often the punchline. Their sound is very distinctive, it is likely you have heard or read
one before!

Ode
The ode is one of the oldest forms of poetry and believed to have come from ancient
Greece. Yep – yonks ago! The word ‘ode’ is derived from the Greek word ‘aeidein’
which means ‘to sing or chant,’ and these poems were originally performed with a
musical instrument. An ode is typically written to praise a person, event, or thing
(you could write an ode to your pet or favourite food!) and they are usually quite
short in length.
Elegy
An elegy does not have rules like some of the other forms of poetry, but it does have
a set subject: death – eek! They are usually written about a loved one who has
passed away but can also be written about a group of people, too. Although they can
sound sad, elegies often end on a hopeful note, hooray!

Ballad
The ballad is another old and traditional form of poetry that typically tells a dramatic
or emotional story. They came from Europe in the late Middle Ages and were initially
passed down from one generation to another, and often with music. Ballads do have
a set form; they are typically four lines (quatrain) and have a rhyme scheme of ABAB
or ABCB. However, this form is looser than others so can be modified to suit a
writer’s (that is you!) needs. Most modern pop songs you hear nowadays can be
referred to as ballads!

Metre
Iamb Meter Examples

Iamb meter has the first syllable unaccented and the second accented, so it sounds like duh. Here are
examples of iamb meter:

That time / of year / thou mayst / in me / behold - William Shakespeare's "Sonnet 73"

Shall I /com pare /thee to / a sum / mer's day? - William Shakespeare's "Sonnet 18"

Come live / with me / and be / my love

And we / will all / the plea / sures prove - Christopher Marlowe's "The Passionate Shepherd to His Love"

All I / could see / from where / I stood / Was three / long moun / tains and / some wood; - Edna St.
Vincent Millay's "Renascence"

To swell / the gourd, / and plump / the ha / zel shells - John Keats' "To Autumn"
Trochee Meter Examples

Trochee meter has the first syllable accented and the second unaccented, so it sounds like DUH duh.
Here are examples of trochee meter:

Tell me / not in / mournful / numbers

By the / shores of / Gitche / Gumee,
By the / shining / Big-Sea- / Water - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's "Song of Hiawatha"

Why so / pale and / wan, fond / Lover?

Prithee / why so / pale?
Will, when / looking / well can't / move her,
Looking / ill pre / vail?
Prithee / why so / pale? - Sir John Suckling's "Song: Why so pale and wan fond lover?"

The Grizz / ly Bear / is huge / and wild;

He has / devoured / an in / fant child.
The in / fant child / is not / aware
It has / been eat / en by / the bear. - A. E. Housman's "Infant Innocence"

Earth, re / ceive / a hon / oured guest;

William / Yeats is / laid to / rest:
Let this / Irish / vessel / lie
Emptied / of its / poet / ry. - W. H. Auden's "In Memory of W. B. Yeats"

Dactyl Meter Examples

Dactyl meter has the first syllable accented and the second and third unaccented, so it sounds like DUH
duh duh. Here are examples of dactyl meter:

This is the / forest pri / meval,

the murmur / ing pines and / the hemlock - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's "Evangeline"

Cannon to / right of them,

Cannon to / left of them,
Cannon in / front of them
Volley'd and / thunder'd; - Alfred Lord Tennyson's "The Charge of the Light Brigade"

Half a league, / half a league

Half a league / onward, - Alfred Lord Tennyson's "The Charge of the Light Brigade"

We that had / Loved him so

Followed him / Honoured him, - Robert Browning's "The Lost Leader"
Just for a / handful of / silver he / left us
Just for a / riband to / stick in his / coat - Robert Browning's "The Lost Leader"

Anapaest Meter Examples

Anapaest meter has the first two syllables unaccented, and the third syllable accented so it sounds like
duh duh DUH. Here are examples of anapaest meter:

The Assy / rian came down / like a wolf / on the fold

And his co / horts were gleam / ing in pur / ple and gold - Lord Byron's "The Destruction of Sennacherib"

And the sheen / of their spears / was like stars / on the sea, - Lord Byron's "The Destruction of
Sennacherib"

In the midst / of the word / he was try / ing to say,

In the midst / of his laugh / ter and glee,
He had soft / ly and sud / denly van / ished away -
For the Snark / was a Boo / jum, you see. - Lewis Carroll, "The Hunting of the Snark"

Oh, Potter, / you rotter, / oh, what have / you done,

You're kill / ing off stu / dents, you think / it is playful fun. - Peeves's song from Harry Potter

His eyes are / as green as / a fresh pick / led toad - Harry's valentine from Harry Potter

From the cen / tre all-round / to the sea,

I am lord / of the fowl / and the brute. - Will Cowper's "Verses Supposed to Be Written by Alexander
Selkirk, During His Solitary Abode in the Island of San Fernandez"

Spondee Meter Examples

Spondee meter follows the two-syllable rhyming pattern, but both are stressed to sound like DUH DUH.
Here are examples of spondee meter:

With / swift, slow; / sweet, sour; / adazzle, dim; - Gerald Manley Hopkins "Pied Beauty"

Break, break, / break

On thy cold gray / stones, / O Sea! - Alfred, Lord Tennyson "Break, Break, Break"

Slow, slow, / fresh fount, / keep time / with my / salt tears; - Ben Johnson "Slow, Slow, Fresh Fount"

Yet but knock, / breathe, shine, / and seek to mend; - John Donne "Holy Sonnet XIV"
Given that spondee provides irregular feet to the poetry, it is commonly only used in areas of a poem.

Pyrrhic Meter Examples

While not a modern meter type, pyrrhic meter was used in Greek poetry and is two unstressed meters
that sound like duh duh. Here are a few examples of pyrrhic meter:

To a / green thought / in a / green shade. - Andrew Marvell's "The Garden"

My way / is to / begin / with the / beginning. - Lord Byron "Don Juan"

When the / blood creeps / and the / nerves prick. - Alfred, Lord Tennyson "In Memoriam"

Since pyrrhic meter creates monotony, it is typically used in parts of poetry rather than the entire poem.

Stanzas
Stanza = a set amount of lines in poetry grouped together by their length, meter, or
rhyme scheme.
Couplet = a two-line stanza.
Tercet = a three-line stanza.
Quatrain = a four-line stanza.
Cinquain = a five-line stanza.
Sestet = a six-line stanza.