Elements and forms of poetry

Elements and forms of poetry

Poetry is as old as history. It is undoubtedly one of the most creative literature pieces there is, especially because it evokes strong emotions and imaginative consciousness through beautifying a language, particularly the essential elements of poetry.

Structure

The first thing to notice in poems is its structure. That is because structure can give away the rest of the elements and forms of poetry. First thing is the “lines” count. A line is an entire single line of words or phrases, which when grouped, form a “stanza”. A stanza is the equivalent of a paragraph, whereas a line is the equivalent of a sentence in essay writing. Stanzas also come into various categories mainly in terms of the line count.Need help with your term paper or essay?

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Sound

The sound pattern is a very significant point in elements and forms of poetry. This is embodied by the poem’s meter or rhyme scheme, and the sound of words itself. Meter refers to the position of the accent in a line (e.g. iambic, trochee, dactyl, etc.). Rhyme refers to the matching of end sounds of lines in a stanza. The rhyming scheme depends solely on the poet: (a) The end sounds are of the same rhyme (AAAA), (b) end sounds have alternative rhyming scheme (ABAB), or (c) grouped rhyming e.g. first and second lines have the same rhyme, third and fourth have the same rhyme (AABBCC).

Imagery

Imagery is the element of poetry that sparks the reader’s senses. Imagery refers to the figures of speech one can use to present a mental picture, for example, to a narrative poetry. This is where the wordplay comes in, poets can control the language to let out the best way of poetry presentation. Also, imagery, like sound pattern, is an essential in learning about the elements and forms of poetry. After mastering the elements of poetry, follows that Shakespeare and Petrarch taught us that poems can come in different forms.

Free Verse

Free verse poems gives the author the most freedom among all the other forms of poetry because it does not follow any rhyming pattern, syllable count, line count, or line and stanza formation. You are the Dante Alighieri of your free verse poetry.

Sonnet

A sonnet is a short form of poetry that originated in Italy. Sonnet has a fixed verse consisting of exactly 14 lines that is in a form of a rhyming iambic pentameter. Writing a sonnet can be a little tedious, but just as enjoyable as writing any other literary piece.

Haiku

Writing a haiku is a lot trickier than the rest or even the classic forms of poetry such as couplet and the likes. Haiku originated from Japan, and this poem is restricted to three lines with exactly 17 syllables in total where the first and third lines have five syllables each, and seven syllables for the second line. Other than this structure, haiku also follows a strict single image but of contrasting and resonant nature at the same time. Read more about Haiku here.

Limerick

A limerick, like a sonnet, is a rather short form of poetry that is actually limited to five directly humorous or satirical lines which rhyming patter should be AABBA – where the first, second, and last lines end on the same rhyme (Rhyme A), so as the third and fourth (Rhyme B).

Narrative

Like the narrative essays, this form of poetry also tells a story, which means that your characters, setting, and plot are distinct and well-described. A narrative poem can be a free verse, a sonnet, a limerick, or any other form of poetry. A narrative also offers a bigger room for the exploration of the elements or even other forms of poetry.

Epic

An epic is an extensive narrative form of poetry that uses grandiose language,  meant to celebrate the mightiness, accomplishments, and adventures often of a legendary hero. An epic can also be a narrative, and like narrative, an epic does not limit the length of the piece, hence, more room to explore the elements or other forms of poetry as well.