Saturday, December 29, 2012

Poetic Forms


There are many poetic forms to explore, but I will name and explain a few here. If you are interested in learning about the other poetic forms and seeing examples, I suggest Poets.org.
Couplets

Usually forming other poetic forms, the couplet is simply two lines of rhymed poetry.



Haiku

Unrhymed Japanese poetry with 3 lines of 5 syllables, 7 syllables, 5 syllables, usually on a nature theme.



Imagist

Typically written in free verse using only images to communicate the idea or theme.



Shakespearean/English Sonnet

14 lines of iambic pentameter divided into three quatrains (4 lines) followed by a couplet (2 lines) with the rhyme scheme abab | cdcd | efef | gg with the couplet playing a pivotal role as the turning point.

 

Petrarchan/Italian Sonnet

14 lines of iambic pentameter divided into two stanzas: octave (8 lines) and sestet (6 lines) with a rhyme scheme of abba | abba | cdecde and is usually divided into a problem (octave) and solution (sestet) format.



Blank Verse

Unrhymed iambic pentameter. Commonly seen in  Shakespeare’s plays.



Free Verse

No rhyme scheme. No rules.




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