TYPES OF POEMS

AcrosticBalladBalladeBlank VerseCinquainDiamanteEcho VerseEpicEpigram Free VerseHaikuHoratian OdeIrregular OdeKenningsKyirelle LimerickLyric

OdeOttava RimaPantoumPindaric OdeRengaRiddleRondeauSenryuShakespearean SonnetShape PoemSonnetTankaTerza RimaTetractysTrioletTyburn

What is an Acrostic Poem?An acrostic poem is a type of poetry where the first, last or other letters in a line spell out a particular word or phrase. The most common and simple form of an acrostic poem is where the first letters of each line spell out the word or phrase.

Example – An acrostic poem using the beginning of lines

A less common and slightly more difficult type of an acrostic poem is where the last letter of each line spells out the word or phrase.

Example - An acrostic poem using the end of lines

Finally, the more difficult type is where letters in the middle of the acrostic spell out the word or phrase.

Example - An acrostic poem using the middle of the lines

What is a Ballad?A Ballad is a poem that tells a story, which are often used in songs because of their rhyme. A ballad is a poetic story, often a love story.

Example of a Ballad Poem

As I was walking down the street I saw two people in secret meetThe second one said to the first 'You have some news to quench my thirst?'

'In behind the old, damp shedThere lies a noble man slain, deadAnd no one knows he lies in strifeExcept his dog and lonely wife

With master gone where no one knocksHis dog has left to chase a foxHis wife has found somebody newHis house is left for all to view

Though it's been empty for a whileWe'll be warm and dry in half a mileFor now we can take comfort thereWe'll flee the place when it grows bare

Many people knew the noble manBut none do care where he has goneOver his grave, all do ignoreThe wind shall blow forever more.'

What is a Ballade?A ballade is a type of poetry, this type of poetry first became popular in the 14th century.The Structure of a BalladeA Ballade poem should have three stanzas and an envoy/ envoi. The rhyming pattern for the stanzas is ababbcbC.The rhyming pattern for the envoy is bcbC.The capital letter in the rhyming patterns shows where the refrain should be.

Example of a Ballade

What is a Blank Verse Poem?A blank verse is a poem with no rhyme but does have iambic pentameter. This means it consists of lines of five feet, each foot being iambic, meaning two syllables long, one stressed followed by an unstressed.

The Structure of a Blank Verse Poem

Five feet of iambic syllables -

Sounding du DUM du DUM du DUM du DUM du DUM

Each foot making the verse sound like it has heart beat rhythm.

Each line has a set number of syllables see below:

An Example of a Blank Verse Poem

Furball Friend

Sweet pet by day, hunter by night. She sleeps, she eats, she plays. My feet, caught in white paws.She’s up the fence, watching her prey - a bird.Poor thing, better run quick, ’cause watch, she’ll pounce!She’ll sweetly beg for fuss, but don’t be fooled. ’Cause one minute she’ll purr and smile, then snap!She’ll spit and hiss - and oh - surprise! A mouse.He’s dead. A gift. Retracts her claws. Miaow!Figure of eight between my legs, looks upat me and purrs. The sound pulls my heartstrings.Her big blue eyes like dinner plates - so cute.Cunning she is, she knows I can’t resist.Curling up tight, we sleep entwined as one.Despite her quirks, I would not change a claw of her. Cheeky Sammy: my snow-white queen.

What is a Cinquain?A cinquain poem is a verse of five lines that do not rhyme. The cinquain poem was created by Adelaide Crapsey.

What is the structure of a cinquain?

A cinquain consists of five unrhymed lines.

Each line has a set number of syllables see below:

Line 1: 2 syllablesLine 2: 4 syllablesLine 3: 6 syllablesLine 4: 8 syllablesLine 5: 2 syllables

An example of a Cinquain Poem

My mum (2 syllables)Is so caring (4 syllables)She is always helpful (6 syllables)She is so beautiful and kind (8 syllables)Love you. (2 syllables)

What is a Diamante Poem?When a diamante poem is written it takes on the shape of a diamond.

The Structure of a Diamante Poem

A diamante poem is made up of 7 lines using a set structure:

Line 1: Beginning subjectLine 2: Two describing words about line 1Line 3: Three doing words about line 1Line 4: A short phrase about line 1, a short phrase about line 7Line 5: Three doing words about line 7Line 6: Two describing words about line 7Line 7: End subject

An example of a diamante poem

BikeShiny, quiet,

Pedaling, spinning, weavingWhizzing round corners, zooming along roads

Racing, roaring, speedingFast, loud,

Car

What is an Echo Verse Poem?An Echo Verse is when the last word or syllable in a line is repeated or echoed underneath to form a rhyming line, normally ending as the last line being the title to the poem.

An Example of an Echo Verse

What is this that falls from the sky?Echo - IDo you live above the thunder?Echo - UnderAre you cold white snow?Echo - NoYou don’t fall quietly from the cloudEcho - LoudYou hit the ground with a spatterEcho - PatterYou journey from the sky to the drainEcho - Rain

What is an Epic Poem?An Epic is a serious poem that tells a story; this is at length a narrative piece with heroic events and deeds

There is no structure to the poem other than it tells a story.

An Example of an Epic Poem

The man awoke upon the mornTo the sunlight streaming downDown upon the bed through the window paneThe curtains that swathed it having been Left wide open to the elementsThe night before in his hasteTo retreat to the land of NodHe squinted and raised a handTo shield his vision from the glareThat had so recently disturbed himFrom his sojourn in dreamland.He lay upon the bed awhileBasking in the morning lightThinking upon the day before himHe could delay it no longer The day must be commenced Despite his reticence and the comfortTo be found amongst the bed sheets.But then the swirling dust motes caught his eyeAs they danced and twirled before himIn the shafts of sunlight streaming downThat had so recently disturbed himAs they performed their balletTo music beyond his hearingHe admired the twirling journeyOf their dance upon the air

But workAnd so he sat down at his deskHe adjusted his chair just soHe took a fresh sheet of paperAnd smoothed it out before himHe took a pencil from the potAnd looking at it, frownedThen retrieved a sharpener And would not settle untilIt was the perfect sharpnessWith no risk of the lead snappingAnd interrupting his flowSuch a happening had the potentialTo ruin a whole day’s workAnd close off his mind to his taskUntil the next morn when he wouldBe awoken by the sun once more.He was ready to beginThe paper was blank and crease freeThe pencil was ready to scratchIts lead across the white surfaceLeaving behind its trailThere was nothing left to doWithin the house, it had all been doneThere was nothing to distract himFrom the hours that lay ahead

And pondered awhile upon their beautyAnd perhaps if it could be usedTo aid the work that faced him.With this reminder he shiftedHe really must desist this lazingAround in bed for half the mornHe had work to be commenced.He raised his arms above his headAnd with a crack stretched out longDispelling the vestiges of sleepFrom their places in his weary limbsBut as he stretched his gaze liftedTo the roof above himAnd upon that roof he happened to spyA shaft of the morning’s lightThat had so recently disturbed himIt sliced the roof in half up highTwo halves of shadow ripped asunderBy this line of blazing glory lightRight above his head.The sight above him brought to mindGreat canyons in the desertOr rivers cleaving land in twoOr perhaps, a glimpse between two curtainsAs the light spilled from withinOffering the unseen observerA glimpse into a worldThought private by its occupantsYes, he thought, that was goodHe’d have to note that downAnd remember to use it laterOnce his work had been commenced.He sat up and winced once moreAt the light that invaded his roomAnd wished that he had had the foresightLast night to draw his own curtains acrossAnd then perhaps he would have been savedFrom the insistent morning glowThat had so recently disturbed him.He swung his legs from under the coversAnd stretched once more up highStill he did not feel ready to faceWhat lay before him, though he mustHis toes lighted upon the wooden beamsOf the floor of his bedroomAnd he shuddered, for though the lightWas fierce and bright and whiteNone of its warmth had thought to reachThe floor upon which he trodAt times such as this (so every morn)He wished he were the type of chapTo own a pair of slippers to put upon his feetAnd protect them from the frost of the floorIt was a while before he found himselfDescending the stairs to the rooms belowFor though his work must be commencedHe was not eager to make a startHe prepared himself some foodBecause he can’t work on an empty stomachHe prepared himself a drinkBecause the mind needs liquid to functionIt was a hot drink, so took longer

And those hours did passSlowly, sleepily, sloth-likeThey ambled on byDragging him through the dayOne painful minute by minuteYet still the paper remainedBlank and crease freeYet still the pencil remained Sharp and ready to scratchIts lead across the white surfaceLeaving behind the trailHe racked his brain but nothingHe half remembered fleeting thoughtsFrom when he had first awokenFrom when the sun blazed so fiercely downUpon his sleeping formAnd disturbed him from his slumberSomething about the ceilingAnd curtains, yes definitely curtainsHe was sure the words had flowedEasily into his mindCascading waterfalls of wordsBut the symphony that hadAccompanied them when they firstHad emerged fully formed inside his headNow sounded hollow and dullAnd merely a racket, no melody at allHe picked up the pencilBut still did not writeHe looked down at the leadAnd wood creation in his handAnd threw his pencil to the fireAs if it had been its faultFor failing himHe looked at the paper upon his deskIts blankness accusing himMocking himHe scrunched it up into a ballAnd threw it after the pencilHe took a fresh sheet of paperAnd smoothed it out before himHe took a pencil from the potAnd looking at it, frownedThen retrieved a sharpener And would not settle untilIt was the perfect sharpnessWith no risk of the lead snappingAnd interrupting his flow(If he ever found his flow)He closed his eyes in concentrationHe meditated for relaxationHe thrashedHe wailedHe begged the powers that beBut all to no availThe words just would not comeAnd then, in exhaustion, in submissionHe finally admitted defeatAfter hours in his seat with nothing achievedAnd days and weeks of the sameHe set down the pencilThat was the perfect sharpness

Because he couldn’t think if he was coldHe returned upstairs for a jumperBecause the hot drink might not be enoughTo keep him warm enoughHe opened all his lettersAnd answered every oneBecause he would not allow his workTo get in the way of his mannersHe washed and dried his dishesBecause the imagination would not be freedIf the shackles of chores lay upon himAnd then there was nothing left to do

Upon the paperThat was smooth and blankAnd tried to write no more‘I am a lie, a deceit, a fraud’He said to the empty air‘For how can I call myself a poetWhen not a single word I write’

What is an Epigram Poem?An Epigram is a short satirical and witty poem usually written as a couplet or quatrain but can also just be a one lined phrase. It is a brief and forceful remark with a funny ending. The term epigram derives from the Greek word ‘epi-gramma’ meaning inscription or to inscribe.

An example of an Epigram Poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Sir, I admit your general rule, That every poet is a fool,But you yourself may serve to show it,That every fool is not a poet.

An example of an Epigram by Oscar Wilde

"I can resist everything except temptation"

What is a Free Verse Poem?A Free Verse is poetry written with rhymed or unrhymed verse that has no set meter to it.

An example of a Free Verse poem

In Flight

Wake up to a bright sapphire morning Cloudless skiesThis can only mean one thingIt’s a go!

At the launch siteTeeth chit-chattering And not just from the c-cold

What if a bird confuses my head for a perch?Will my glasses be fogged up by the clouds?If I fall out of the basketAnd land in a field of cows

Up we go!Far belowIdyllic fields of patchwork greenGlittering lakes - a treasure trove beneath the surfaceClick!

I can’t believe I’m so highFeeling like a queenI stretch my arms out to the sidesNow I’m a birdSo highI close my eyes and take flightI feel the wind in my wingsUp with the cloudsMy hair, now feathers, sweeps behind meI am as elegant as a swanSoaring higher than the Earth

OhI’m not a birdI’m not as elegant as a swanI’m about as elegant as a rhino on roller skatesI’m just a schoolgirlOn a balloon flight

And we just crash-landedIn a fieldWith cows.

What is a Haiku Poem?A Haiku is a Japanese poem which can also be known as a Hokku. A Haiku poem is similar to a Tanka but has fewer lines. A Haiku is a type of poetry that can be written on many themes, from love to nature. What is the Structure of a Haiku Poem?A Haiku consists of 3 lines and 17 syllables.Each line has a set number of syllables see below:

Line 1 – 5 syllables Line 2 – 7 syllables Line 3 – 5 syllables

An Example of a Haiku Poem(5) The sky is so blue. (7) The sun is so warm up high.(5) I love the summer. Haiku poems don't need to rhyme, but for more of a challenge some poets try to rhyme lines 1 and 3.Examples of Rhyming Haiku PoemsToast (5) I really like toast. (7) It is yummy when it's hot. (5) I like it best cold. Beans (5) Beans are kind to hearts. (7) I like to eat them daily. (5) And then do big farts!

What is a Horatian Ode Poem?A Horatian Ode is a poem with meter and rhyme. It is devoted to praising a person, animal or object.The structure of a Horatian Ode PoemAbab cdecdeAn example of a Horatian Ode PoemStart Of The School Week(a) Trudging to school on a cold, dreary morning,(b) It's only Monday, this week is going to be long, (a) So tired, I'm still yawning, (b) This feeling hardly makes me break into song, (c) A week of learning stretches out ahead, (d) The teacher's at the front, the first lesson's art, (e) We make it to lunch and I still feel sad, (c) Really would love to go back to bed, (d) But Friday rolls around and it's time to depart, (e) It's then I realise, school isn't that bad.

What is an Irregular Ode Poem?An Irregular Ode is a poem with meter and rhyme just like all other odes but has no set pattern. Each line rhymes somewhere throughout.

An example of an Irregular Ode poem

Ode To Spring

(a) Oh ! Glorious Spring, how amazing you are(b) You are both Truth's beauty and light (a) You travel far (b) Yet always remain bright(c) Baby lambs greet you with a bleat (d) Birds fly stretching their wings(c) Lovers on a seat(d) We are truly thankful for what you bring (e) Spring never leave(f) Oh but can I compare (g) How I feel when you're near? (g) Spreading your joy to those so dear (h) Spring we celebrate your birth(h) And we mourn each year you leave this Earth     Oh Spring!

What is a Kennings Poem?A Kenning is a two word phrase describing an object often using a metaphor. A Kennings poem is a riddle made up of several lines of kennings to describe something or someone.

What is the structure of a Kennings poem?

A Kennings poem consists of several stanzas of two describing words. It can be made up of any number of Kennings.

An example of a Kennings Poem

My Sister

Dummy-suckerTeddy-throwerAnything-chewer

Kiss-giverSlave-employerDolly-huggerCalm-destroyer

Milk-drinkerNappy-leakerPeace-breakerScream-shrieker

Unlike any otherMy sister

What is a Kyirelle Poem?A Kyrielle poem is structured so that all the lines have eight syllables and each stanza of four lines ends in a refrain. It takes on a rhythmical form very much like a rhyming couplet .

What is the structure of a Kyirelle Poem?

A Kyrielle poem is made up of 4 lined stanzas of eight syllables each. The capital being the refrain:

aabB  ccbB ddbB eebB

An example of a Kyrielle Poem

Pollution

Pollution rising in the sky,            a8

People wear masks as they walk by, a8

It's about time to turn the bend, b8

For all this pollution to end.. B8

   

Animals are losing their homes, c8

To make way for buildings with domes, c8

What message do we have to send, b8

For all this pollution to end.        B8

   

We're all guilty we must confess, d8

Guilty of making such a mess, d8

It's time for action, find a friend, b8

For all this pollution to end.        B8

   

If we don't act the world won't last, e8

Breathing fresh air will have long passed, e8

This is the message that I send,              b8

For all this pollution to end.        B8

What is a Limerick?A limerick is often a funny poem with a strong beat. Limericks are very light hearted poems and can sometimes be utter nonsense. They are great for kids to both read and write as they are short and funny.The Structure of a Limerick PoemA Limerick consists of five lines.

The first line of a limerick poem usually begins with 'There was a....' and ends with a name, person or place.

The last line of a limerick is normally a little farfetched or unusual. A limerick should have a rhyme scheme of aabba: This means lines 1,2 and 5 rhyme and lines 3 and 4 rhyme. Also, lines 1,2 and 5 should have 7 – 10 syllables and lines 3 and 4 should have 5 – 7

syllables.

An example of a Limerick Poem by famous poet Edward Lear'There was an old man with a beardWho said, 'It is just as I feared,Two owls and a henA lark and a wrenHave all built their nests in my beard!'

What is a Lyric?A Lyric is a poem that expresses personal and emotional feelings.

An example of a Lyric poemIt was in June you passed me byIt was in June you caught my eyeSoon we were meeting both day and nightThe days suddenly seemed filled with lightIt was all so sudden, a short tryst I thoughtBut your heart and soul it seemed I had caught

No, there are no regrets since you walked my wayNo, there are no regrets since we met that day Those cheesy walks along the beach still fill my mindThose cheesy lines you always managed to findOnly you could get away with such thingsBut happiness and joy you seemed to bringA holiday in the sun went by in a dreamMoving in seemed the logical thingNo, there are no regrets since you walked my wayNo, there are no regrets since we met that day Who would have known what lay behind the doorWho would have thought we would soon be no moreWhen you departed you left a hole too big to fillEven after these many years I miss you stillAlthough I have moved on, I still feel you nearSending me your best, and filling me with cheerNo, there are no regrets since you walked my wayNo, there are no regrets since we met that day

What is a Ode?An Ode is a lyric poem, usually addressing a particular person or thing. It originated in Ancient Greece.

What is the structure of an Ode?Odes use similes, metaphors and sometimes a technique called hyperbole.Example of a OdeOde to an OliveOh Olive,You are as precious to me as any gem,With your beautiful, pure skin as smooth as silkAnd as green as the grass in summertime.I love your taste and the smell of your tender fruitWhich hides beneath your green armour.Olive, sweet, tasty Olive,How I love you so and my mealtimes wouldn't be the sameIf you weren't in my life.Oh Olive,Nothing can compare to you, nothing at all,You are food of the gods, a king's richesAnd, most importantly, you are mine, oh Olive!

What is an Ottava Rima Poem?An Ottava Rima is an Italian poem made up of eight lines that rhyme. Each line consists of eleven syllables.

The structure of an Ottava Rima Poem

An Ottava Rima poem is made up of an octave with the rhyme pattern

abababcc

An example of an Ottava Rima Poem

Quickly did the tiger begin his fast run Over hilly ground you see him fly and leap The passive prey laying grazing in the sun Suddenly its life that it wanted to keep Tiger pounces, quickly getting the job done The prey collapsing in a really big heap Tiger sleeps as night takes over from the day Will we ever see the hunter become prey?

What is a Pantoum?A Pantoum is a type of poem with a verse form consisting of three stanzas. It has a set pattern within the poem of repetitive lines.

The pattern in each stanza is where the second and fourth line of each verse is repeated as the first and third of the next. The pattern changes though for the last stanza to the first and third line are the second and fourth of the stanza above (penultimate). The last line is a repeat of the first starting line of the poem and the third line of the first is the second of the last. Confused? Look below at our example.

An example of a Pantoum Poem

Riverside

(1) As I walk by the riverside(2) Ripples disturb the water(3) Fish dart upstream(4) Fighting against the flow

(2) Ripples disturb the water (5) Struggling to their destination(4) Fighting against the flow (6) In their underwater world

(5) Struggling to their destination(3) Fish dart upstream (6) Through the fields and vales and valleys they glide(1) As I walk by the riverside

What is a Pindaric Ode Poem?A Pindaric Ode is a poem with set meter and rhyme just like all other odes. It is defined by three triads: the strophe and the antistrophe being of the same stanza form and an epode as the final which is different. This form of Ode was named after the writer Pindar.

An example of a Pindaric Ode Poem

Based on an extract from 'The Progress of Poesy' by Thomas Gray

(a) Wake up, you little sleep head, awake(a) And give great joy to life that's found in dreams (b) From Nature's most sweet sounding streams

(a) A thousand turns their twisty journeys take (a) The dancing flowers, that above them blow (c) Breathe life and music as they flow

(d) Now the vast waves of sound drift along (d) Deep, beautiful, vast and strong (e) Through the fields and vales and valleys they glide(e) And rolling down the mountain side (f) Daring and carefree the water pours (f) From the highest edge they jump and falling, they roar.

What is a Renga Poem?Renga, means 'linked poem'. Poets worked in pairs or small groups, taking turns composing the alternating three-line and two-line stanzas.

What is the structure of a Renga Poem?

To create a Renga, one poet writes the first stanza, which is three lines long with a total of seventeen syllables – the same structure as a haiku. The next poet adds the second stanza, a couplet with seven syllables per line. The third stanza repeats the structure of the first (another haiku) and the fourth repeats the second, alternating in this pattern until the poem is completed.

Example of a Renga Poem

The final leaf falls (5)The tree branches are so bare (7)Autumn has arrived (5)

Remember Summer's warm kiss (7)So gentle, it will be missed. (7)

What is a Riddle?A Riddle is a type of poem that describes something without actually naming what it is, leaving the reader to guess. A Riddle is a light hearted type of poetry which involves the reader.

Riddles can be about anything, from Riddles about animals to Riddles about objects. There are no rules on how to structure a Riddle poem, a Riddle can be funny or it can rhyme, it depends on the person writing the Riddle.

Example of a Riddle

Example of a Rhyming Riddle

What is a Rondeau Poem?A Rondeau is a short poem consisting of fifteen lines that have two rhymes throughout. The first few words or phrase from the first line are repeated twice in the poem as a refrain.

Example of a Rondeau Poem

The capital A is the refrain and sentence it is taken from

(a) In Summertime we do not go (a) To school for weeks and weeks, no no! (b) We take a day trip to the beach (b) And buy ourselves an ice cream each (a) We run into the surf that's low (a) Get seaweed wrapped around our toes (a) While others sunbathe on a throw (b) We build sandcastles tides can't reach (A) In Summertime. (a) As the light warm breeze begins to blow (a) And our hunger begins to grow (b) From the picnic I grab a peach (b) 'Let's stay longer' I do beseech (a) As the sun sets the sky does glow (A) In Summertime.

What is a Senryu?A senryu is a 17 syllable poem. It is an unrhymed Japanese verse. A senryu consists of 3 lines and 17 syllables.

The Structure of a Senryu Poem

The 17 syllables should be arranged as below:

Line 1 – 5 syllables Line 2 – 7 syllables Line 3 – 5 syllables

An Example of a Senryu Poem

(5) Pretty red flower (7) The buzzing bees really love (5) Your pollen so sweet

What is a Shakespearean Sonnet?A Shakespearean Sonnet is a poem expressive of thought, emotion or idea. It is usually 14 lines which are formed by three quatrains with a rhyming couplet for the last two lines.

A Shakespearean Sonnet Poem

Sonnet 130

(a) My Mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun;(b) Coral is far more red than her lips' red;(a) If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun;(b) If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head.

(c) I have seen roses damasked, red and white,(d) But no such roses see I in her cheeks;(c) And in some perfumes is there more delight(d) There in the breath that from my mistress reeks.

(e) I love to hear her speak; yet well I know(f) That music hath a far more pleasing sound;(e) I grant I never saw a goddess go;(f) My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground

(g) Any yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare(g) As any she belied with false compare.

What is a Shape Poem?A Shape Poem is a type of poetry that describes an object and is shaped the same as the object the poem is describing.

You could write your shape poem on anything.

What Shapes Could You Make Your Poetry?

You could have a circle-shaped poem describing a cookie, or a poem about love shaped like a heart.

An Example of a Shape Poem

What is a Sonnet Poem?A Sonnet is a poem of an expressive thought or idea made up of 14 lines, each being 10 syllables long. Its rhymes are arranged according to one of the schemes – Italian, where eight lines called an octave consisting of two quatrains which normally open the poem as the question are followed by six lines called a sestet that are the answer, or the more common English which is three quatrains followed by a rhyming couplet .

The Structure of a Sonnet Poem

ab ab, cdcd, efef, gg - English abba abba cdecde - Italian

An example of a Sonnet Poem

(a) Scribbler! oh what a joy you can find here (b) Eric is the one that heads the great team (a) Full of poems, stories and happy cheer (b) Hopefully it will make our readers gleam (c) Bronte's Grammar is full of homework help (d) Guest authors revealing secrets galore (c) While the tricky puzzles will make you yelp (d) There is no way Scribbler! will make you snore (e) Eric will start a tale needing an end (f) Fancy a challenge? Puzzle Time is here (e) Shakespeare picks the great pictures you all send (f) Ev'ry issue's jam-packed, let's give a cheer (g) How 'bout finding Eric hidden away (g) Jump on the Scribbler! wagon, come and play!

What is a Tanka Poem?A tanka poem is a Japanese poem which can also be known as a waka or uta. A tanka poem is similar to a haiku but has two additional lines.

What is the Structure of a Tanka Poem?

A tanka consists of 5 lines and 31 syllables.

Each line has a set number of syllables see below:

Line 1 – 5 syllables Line 2 – 7 syllables Line 3 – 5 syllables Line 4 – 7 syllables Line 5 – 7 syllables

An Example of a Tanka Poem<

(5) I love my kitten. (7) She is so little and cute. (5) She has a pink tongue, (7) And lots of long whiskers too. (7) She purrs when I stroke her back.

What is a Terza Rima Poem?A terza rima is an Italian form of poetry first used by Dante Alighieri.

A terza rima consists of stanzas of three lines (or tercets) usually in iambic pentameter. It follows an interlocking rhyming scheme, or chain rhyme. This is where the middle of each stanza rhymes with the first and last line of the following stanza. There is no set length to this form, as long as it follows the pattern as follows:

ABABCBCDCDED

With the last stanza as a couplet rhyming with the middle line of the previous stanza. In this case, EE.

An example of a Terza Rima Poem

Spring

(A) New life begins to spring to life in spring(B) Green shoots appear in the April showers(A) Birds migrate back home and rest tired wings

(B) Summer brings green fields full of bright flowers(C) Paddling pools and ice creams all around(B) The sun shines fiercely with all its powers

(C) Autumn sends leaves tumbling to the ground(D) The sun sinks lower leaving longer nights(C) Conkers and acorns waiting to be found

(D) Winter is a time for Halloween frights(E) Snow on the ground and Jack Frost's ache(D) Celebrations filled with festive delights

(E) As winter ends the new year starts to make(E) New life begins to spring to life and awake.

What is a Tetractys?The poetic form of the tetractys is a poem with only five lines. Each line adds another syllable until the last line which has ten.

What is the Stucture of a Tetractys?

A tetractys consists of 5 lines, each line has a set number of syllables see below:

Line 1 – 1 syllable Line 2 – 2 syllables Line 3 – 3 syllables Line 4 – 4 syllables Line 5 – 10 syllables

An Example of a Tetractys Poem

(1 syllable) I (2 syllables) Am four (3 syllables) And I go (4 syllables) To big school where (10 syllables) I learn to read and write and spell my name.

Double Tetractys Poem

For a more complex form there is the double tetractys, which is similar but has ten lines and is structured as shown below:

Line 1 – 1 syllable Line 2 – 2 syllables Line 3 – 3 syllables Line 4 – 4 syllables Line 5 – 10 syllables Line 6 – 10 syllables Line 7 – 4 syllables Line 8 – 3 syllables Line 9 – 2 syllables Line 10 – 1 syllable

An Example of a Double Tetractys Poem

(1 syllable) I (2 syllables) Am four (3 syllables) And I go (4 syllables) To big school where (10 syllables) I learn to read and write and spell my name. (10 syllables) It is fun and I play games with my friends (4 syllables) My best friend is (3 syllables) Called Rosie (2 syllables) She is (1 syllable) Nice.

What is a Triolet Poem?A Triolet is a poem of fixed rhythmical form, with repeated lines. It is made up of eight lines with a set rhyming scheme.

The Structure of a Triolet Poem

A Triolet consists of eight lines, the rhyming scheme is:

AB, aA, abAB

An example of a Triolet Poem

(A) Lots of colours all around, oranges, reds and some brown (B) Collecting conkers that fall from the tree(a) Harvest Festival is coming to town (A) Lots of colours all around, oranges, reds and some brown (a) Just cos summer's gone; no need to frown (b) Halloween costumes in the shops for all to see (A) Lots of colours all around, oranges, reds and some brown (B) Collecting conkers that fall from the tree.

Written by Greta Skelton

What is a Tyburn?A Tybur Poem is a six line poetic form where the first four lines consist of just a single two syllabled word each that all rhyme. The last two lines are nine syllables where the fifth to eighth syllables are the words from the first four lines.

Example of a Tyburn Poem

CrashingClashingSplashingThrashingCrashing, clashing seaSwims a little splashing, thrashing me.