A poet is, above anything else, a person passionately in love with language. – W.H Auden

Poetry, like anything else in life, is a matter of preference. There are those who love it, those who tolerate it, and those who loathe it. For those of us who love or tolerate it, poetry is one of the oldest ways of expressing ourselves. Whether you love it or hate it, check out these five types of poetry.

  1. Abecedarian – a poem guided by alphabetical order. Each stanza (line) begins with the next letter of the alphabet, starting with A and ending at Z.
  2. Anaphora – a poem that begins with repetitious words or phrases at the start of each line, clause, or phrase. Although it is often used in political speeches, it can also be found in poetry and prose.
  3. Blank Verse – 10-syllabl iambic pentameter that does not rhythm aka heroic verse.
  4. Dramatic Monologue – a poem in which an imagined character speaks to a quiet, unknown listener. This “listener” is not the outside audience (the reader) but a target within the poem.
  5. Haiku – aka Hokku. Japanese verse composed of a set of three lines that do not rhythm. These poems are made of five syllables in the first line, seven in the second, and five in the third line.