Forms of Poetry

Question 1

Pantoum

Answer 1

a verse form consisting of an indefinite number of quatrains

• ABAB rhyme scheme
• second and fourth line of each quatrain is repeated as third and first line are repeated
• originally Malaysian, imitated in French and English

Question 2

Free Verse

Answer 2

free from limitations of poetry

- originated in France

Question 3

Rondeau

Answer 3

13 lines (8-10 syllables) with a refrain

• first line is the refrain
• only two rhymes are used
• began as a lyric poem in 13th century France
• became popular among medieval court poets

Question 4

Elegy

Answer 4

a mournful/melancholy poem that honors someone who is dead

• originally couplets, now it’s free verse
• can take any form as long as it has serious reflection
• elements of traditional elegy demonstrate the 3 stages of loss

Question 5

Ode

Answer 5

a lyric poem in the form of an address to a particular subject, often elevated in style or manner and written in varied or irregular meter

• 3 main types: pindaric, horatian, irregular
• praises or mocks with strong emotion that the poet has
• originated from Ancient Greece
• originally accompanied by dance and music

Question 6

Haiku

Answer 6

3 lines, 5-7-5 syllables

- popularized by Matsuo Basho in 17th century in Japan

Question 7

Tanka

Answer 7

5 lines, 5-7-5-7-7 syllables

• format for waka songs in Japan
• popularized by Yosano Tekke in the late 19th century

Question 8

Narrative

Answer 8

tells a story, voices narrator and/or character

• written in metered verse
• can be a short story or an entire novel
• 4 main types: ballad, idyll, lay, epic

Question 9

Concrete

Answer 9

a form of shape poetry where the shape has the effect of conveying the meaning of the poem
- poets hid the meaning of the poem to be found in the shape of the poem

Question 10

Ballad

Answer 10

tells a story usually using simple language, in third or first person

• dates back to 13th century, traditional ballad lost popularity
• used with music now, slow love songs

Question 11

Terza Rima

Answer 11

Italian poetry written in Iambic Pentameter

• rhyme scheme: ABA BCB CDC…
• invented in 13th century by Dante Alighieri
• tercet: 3 lines

Question 12

Didactic

Answer 12

written to teach or state an informative message

• originated in Greece
• instructs in terms of morals or by providing knowledge of philosophy, religion, arts, sciences, or other skills

Question 13

Sonnet

Answer 13

a poem of fourteen lines using any of a number of formal rhyme schemes, in English typically having ten syllables per line