Are You A Poet?

Do you have what it takes to be a poet? Haverhyme, and can be humorous (either intentionally
you been formerly trained? What about youror unintentionally on the part of the poet).
grammar, spelling and punctuation? Are you ableEpic: A long narrative poem that details the
to be disciplined to sit down and write poetry?adventures and feats of a hero.
The answers to the above questions are yes.Epitaph: A short poem to describe a person who
Each person has a gift of expression be it inhas passed away, usually placed on that person's
words symbols or signs. Life is a test that hastombstone. It commonly rhymes.
trials temptations and experiences. We learn andFree verse: A fluid poem that has no set pattern
grow to dislike certain foods, towns or situations.or rules. It doesn't rhyme and doesn't have any
Hence, we have all been trained to hope wish andbeat or pattern to its lines, which usually end at a
dream. Although some poets are trained, it is notpause or at a point of suspense.
a requirement for the craft. Our experiencesHaiku: A poem about nature with three lines that
inspire us to write and express how we feeleach have five, seven and five syllables
about the man or woman that we just met orrespectively. It is a Japanese form of poetry, and
fell in love with. "Her eyes we like a mirror indoes not rhyme. If the poem does not refer to
which I saw he soul..."nature, it is called a senryu.
Poetry is an art in the form of human language,Limerick: A humorous poem that usually doesn't
an arrangement of words with patterns, ofmake a lot of sense. It consists of five lines and
rhythmic lines often arranged in verse. Poetry athas an a-a-b-b-a rhyming scheme. The first,
times rhymes. Poetry can be whimsical heartsecond and fifth lines rhyme with each other and
wrenching cruel and unfair. Poetry allows theusually have nine syllables each while the third and
writer to express love, regret, fear andfourth lines rhyme with each other, and usually
anticipation. As human beings we can't get awayhave six syllables each.
from our feelings. What better way to expressMonorhyme: A poem with all its lines sharing the
how you feel than in a poem.same end rhyme.
Poetry can be written in different forms:Narrative poem: A long poem that tells a story.
Acrostic poem: In which the first letters of eachNonsense poem: A poem full of strange things
line form a word, usually the same word as thethat don't usually happen and strange words
title. This type of poem does not necessarily haveinvented by the poet. Obviously, it doesn't make
to rhyme.sense. Edward Lear was famous for many of
Ballad: It tells a story, usually a folk tale or athese.
legend. A ballad is a form of narrative poetry. ItOde: A serious poem written for a special
has a musical rhythm and can easily be sung.occasion or to praise a person.
Blank Verse: It doesn't rhyme, but each line hasQuatrain: A poem with four lines and a rhyming
ten syllables with a stress on every secondscheme. It can be any rhyming scheme: a-b-a-b,
syllable.a-a-b-b, or a-b-b-a.
Cinquain: Comes with five lines. The first lineSonnet: A poem with 14 lines and a rhyming
contains two syllables and every subsequent linescheme. Each line has ten syllables with a stress
has two syllables more than the previous one,on every second syllable. The English sonnet (used
except the last line, which goes back to two. Theby Shakespeare) uses the rhyming scheme
lines do not rhyme.a-b-a-b-c-d-c-d-e-f-e-f-g-g.
Concrete poem: Non-rhyming poem that takes onVillanelle: A poem with 19 lines divided into six
the shape of its subject. Words and phrases arestanzas/verses (the first five stanzas have three
arranged in such a way as to form alines, and the last stanza has four). They rhyme
"word-picture".as follows: a-b-a, a-b-a, a-b-a, a-b-a, a-b-a, a-b-a-a.
Couplet: A poem with two lines that rhyme.Yes, we have a lot of poets that are around
Doggerel: It's a poorly written poem with notoday. And I bet that you are one too.
rhythm and sometimes no meaning. It might