‭Types of Poetry with Extended Examples:‬

‭ . Epic:‬‭Long narrative poems about grand adventures‬‭of heroes, often featuring elements of‬
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‭the supernatural or mythology.‬

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‭ xample:‬‭The Epic of Gilgamesh‬‭, an ancient Mesopotamian‬‭poem, tells the story of‬
‭Gilgamesh, a king who journeys to find immortality after the death of his friend.‬

‭ . Lyric Poetry:‬‭Expresses the thoughts and feelings‬‭of the speaker, often using vivid imagery‬
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‭and musicality.‬

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‭ xample: "Song of Myself" by Walt Whitman is a collection of free-verse lyric poems that‬
‭celebrate the self, nature, and the American spirit. It uses catalogues, repetition, and‬
‭parallelism to create a sense of awe and wonder at the world.‬

‭ . Elegy:‬‭A formal poem lamenting the death of someone,‬‭often expressing grief and reflecting‬
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‭on the life of the deceased.‬

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‭ xample: Alfred Lord Tennyson's "In Memoriam A.H.H." mourns the death of Arthur Henry‬
‭Hallam, Tennyson's close friend. The poem explores themes of grief, faith, and the search for‬
‭meaning in the face of loss.‬

‭ . Ode:‬‭A formal poem praising a person, place, or‬‭thing, often written in a lofty or ceremonial‬
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‭style.‬

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‭ xample: Pablo Neruda's "Ode to a Watermelon" celebrates the simple pleasures of life,‬
‭using vivid imagery and metaphors to elevate the watermelon to a symbol of abundance and‬
‭joy.‬

‭ . Allegory:‬‭A story with a symbolic meaning, often‬‭used to teach a moral lesson or explore‬
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‭complex ideas.‬

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‭ xample: John Bunyan's‬‭Pilgrim's Progress‬‭is an allegory‬‭that follows Christian on his‬
‭journey to the Celestial City, representing the Christian faith.‬

‭ . Ballad:‬‭A narrative poem with a simple structure,‬‭often set to music and passed down orally.‬
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‭Ballads typically deal with themes of love, loss, revenge, and adventure.‬

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‭ xample: "Sir Patrick Spens" is a Scottish ballad that tells the tragic story of a shipwrecked‬
‭knight.‬

‭ . Sonnet:‬‭A 14-line poem with a specific rhyme scheme,‬‭traditionally about love. There are two‬
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‭main types: Shakespearean (three quatrains and a concluding couplet) and Petrarchan (an‬
‭octave and a sestet).‬

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‭ xample: "How Do I Love Thee? Let Me Count the Ways" by Elizabeth Barrett Browning is a‬
‭sonnet that expresses the speaker's intense and multifaceted love for another person.‬
‭ . Metaphysical Poetry:‬‭17th-century poetry that explores complex themes like love, death,‬
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‭and faith using wit, paradox, and elaborate imagery.‬

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‭ xample: John Donne's "The Flea" uses a surprising metaphor – a flea sucking blood from‬
‭both speaker and beloved – to argue that their fates are intertwined and their love endures‬
‭even small sacrifices.‬

‭ . Neoclassical Poetry:‬‭18th-century poetry inspired‬‭by classical Greek and Roman forms,‬

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‭emphasizing reason, order, and balance.‬

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‭ xample: Alexander Pope's "Essay on Man" explores the nature of humanity and its place in‬
‭the universe, using reason and logic to arrive at a sense of order and meaning.‬

‭ 0. Mock Epic:‬‭A satirical poem that imitates the‬‭style of an epic but uses a less serious‬
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‭subject, often for comic effect.‬

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‭ xample: Lord Byron's‬‭Don Juan‬‭is a mock epic that‬‭follows the adventures of a roguish‬
‭nobleman, using humor and exaggeration to poke fun at the conventions of the epic form.‬

‭ 1. Romantic Poetry:‬‭19th-century poetry that emphasizes‬‭emotion, imagination, and nature,‬

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‭often celebrating the power of the individual and the beauty of the natural world.‬

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‭ xample: William Wordsworth's "Tintern Abbey" reflects on the speaker's connection to‬
‭nature and how it has shaped his thoughts and feelings throughout his life.‬