“KINDS OF

POETRY”
WHAT IS POETRY?
• POETRY IS A BEAUTIFUL EXPRESSION OF THE
SPONTANEOUS EMOTIONS AND IMAGINATIONS OF
A POET, THE EARLIEST FORM OF POETRY WERE
RECITED AND SUNG, WITH THE PASSING YEARS, IT
OBTAINED A STRUCTURED FORM THAT LATER
EVOLVED INTO A FREE VERSE FORMAT.
 1. HAIKU
• IS AN UNRHYMED POEM THAT IS NATIVE IN JAPAN,
THE MOST COMMON FORM OF HAIKU CONTAINS
THREE SHORT LINES, EACH LINE HAVING A
STANDARD NUMBER OF SYLLABLES (5-7-5), NATURE
IS THE MOST COMMON SUBJECT OF HAIKUS.
EXAMPLE:
A RAINBOW
BY: DONNA BROCK

CURVING UP, THEN DOWN. (5)

MEETING BLUE SKY AND GREEN EARTH (7)
MELDING SUN AND RAIN (5)
 2. CINQUAIN
• IS AN UNRHYMED FIVE-LINE LONG POEM.
FORM:
LINE 1- ONE WORD (NOUN) A TITLE OR NAME OF THE SUBJECT
LINE 2- TWO WORDS (ADJECTIVES) DESCRIBING THE TITLE
LINE 3- THREE WORDS PHRASE THAT GIVES INFORMATION ABOUT THE SUBJECT
LINE 4- FOUR WORDS DESCRIBING A FEELING OR EMOTION ABOUT THE SUBJECT.
LINE FIVE- ONE WORD REFERRING BACK TO THE TITLE OF THE POEM, IT MAY BE A
SYNONYM OR ANY WORD RELATED TO THE SUBJECT.
EXAMPLE:
RAIN
WET, GLOOMY
STREAMING DOWN PANES
COLD AND ALONE INSIDE
TEARS
BY: P. ALEXANDER
 3. DIAMANTE

• IS A SEVEN-LINE POEM. SHAPED LIKE A

DIAMOND, IT COMPARES OR CONTRAST TWO
SUBJECTS, USUALLY OPPOSITES.
FORM:
LINE 1: ONE WORD SUBJECT, A NOUN
LINE 2: TWO ADJECTIVES DESCRIBING THE LINE 1 NOUN
LINE 3: THREE PARTICIPLES ENDING IN –ING OR –ED TO DESCRIBE THE LINE 1
NOUN
LINE 7: ONE WORD (USUALLY A NOUN) RELATED OR OPPOSITE TO THE LINE 1
NOUN
LINE 6: TWO ADJECTIVES RELATED TO OR DESCRIBING THE LINE 7 NOUN
LINE 5: THREE PARTICIPLES ENDING IN –ING OR –ED TO DESCRIBE THE LINE 7
NOUN
LINE 4: FOUR WORDS: TWO RELATED TO THE LINE 1 NOUN AND TWO RELATED TO
THE LINE 7 NOUN, THEY MAY BE ARRANGED ALTERNATELY, IF THE POET
 EXAMPLE:
DREAM
SUBCONSCIOUS, IMAGINARY
SLEEPING, WISHING, THINKING
FANTASY, ACTUALITY, VISION, GENUINE
BEING, SEEING, KNOWING
AUTHENTIC, FACTUAL
REALITY

-ANONYMOUS
 4. LIMERICK
• IS A VERY POPULAR KIND OF POETRY, A LIMERICK
IS A FUNNY LITTLE POEM WITH THE RHYME
SCHEME OF “AABBA”.
 EXAMPLE:
AFTER A FLY AND SPIDER HAD EATEN A DILL (A)
ASKED FLY TO SPIDER: “HAVE YOU HAD YOUR FILL?” (A)
SAID SPIDER IN REPLY, (B)
“I’D RATHER HAVE A FLY.” (B)
SO FLY LEFT SPIDER WITH THE BILL (A)

BY: P. ALEXANDER
 5: TITLE DOWN

• IS A POEM IN WHICH THE FIRST LETTER OF EACH

LINE SPELLS OUT THE TITLE OF THE POEM.
 EXAMPLE:
SPINNING SILKEN CATTLES
PAINTING WITHOUT EASELS
INVISIBLE THREADS GLEAMED
DESIGNED IN THE MOONLIGHT
ETHEREAL IN MY SIGHT
REALISM SO DREAMED
BY: P. ALEXANDER