All Types Of Poems

Poetry Forms - Definitions and Examples

Sonnet - a short rhyming poem with 14 lines.  The original sonnet form was invented in the 13/14th century by Dante and an Italian philosopher named Francisco Petrarch. The form remained largely unknown until it was found and developed by writers such as Shakespeare. Sonnets use iambic meter in each line and use line-ending rhymes.

For more about Sonnets, read How To Write A Sonnet

Limerick - a five-line witty poem with a distinctive rhythm. The first, second and fifth lines, the longer lines, rhyme. The third and fourth shorter lines rhyme. (A-A-B-B-A).

For more about Limericks, read How To Write A Limerick on the FFP Poetry Forums

Haiku - This ancient form of poem writing is renowned for its small size as well as the precise punctuation and syllables needed on its three lines. It is of ancient Asian origin.

Haiku's are composed of 3 lines, each a phrase. The first line typically has 5 syllables, second line has 7 and the 3rd and last line repeats another 5. In addition there is a seasonal reference included.

For more about Haiku, read How To Write A Haiku

Narrative - A narrative poem tells the story of an event in the form of a poem. There is a strong sense of narration, characters, and plot. It may be dramatic, with objectives and diverse characters. Narrative poetry may be short or long, and the story it relates to may be simple or complex.

See About Narrative Poems and Examples of Narrative Poems

Epic - a lengthy narrative poem in grand language celebrating the adventures and accomplishments of a legendary or conventional hero

Couplet - two lines of verse which rhyme and form a unit alone or as part of a poem.

See Stanzas - Couplet, Tercet And Quatrain

Free Verse - A Free Verse Poem does not follow any rules. Their creation is completely in the hands of the author. Rhyming, syllable count, punctuation, number of lines, number of stanzas, and line formation can be done however the author wants in order to convey the idea. There is no right or wrong way to create a Free Verse poem.

See Free Verse Poem Examples

Acrostic - An acrostic poem is a poem where the one letter in each line spells out a word or phrase vertically that acts as the theme or message of the poem. The word used for the acrostic can be the name of the person you are writing the acrostic about, a message such as Happy Birthday or a theme such as Acceptance, Love or Hope.

How to Write an Acrostic Poem

Read more: 15 Poetry Forms with PDF Templates

10 Most Popular All Types Of Poems

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  1. 1

    Haiku Haiku Year By Paul Holmes

    Haiku Poem About Months Of The Year

    • Stories 2
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  2. 2

    Sonnet Poems In The Shadow Of Your Warm Love By Paul Holmes

    • Stories 0
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  3. 3

    Metaphor Poems Rose Painted By Paige

    Poem About Skin Color

    • Stories 4
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  4. 4

    Haiku Together By Paul Holmes

    Haiku About Spending Time With The One You Love

    • Stories 0
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  5. 5

    Short Poems Your Wounds By Lauren Jarvis-Gibson

    You Are Stronger Than Your Scars

    • Stories 1
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  6. 6

    ABC Poems Alphabet Of Love By Noha Nader

    ABC Love Poem

    • Stories 4
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  7. 7

    Sonnet Poems Stay Or Go? By GA Thompson

    • Stories 6
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  8. 8

    Metaphor Poems A Broken Family Tree By Lori McBride

    Tradition Poem

    • Stories 23
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  9. 9

    Short Poems And The World Carries On By Amy O Connor

    • Stories 1
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  10. 10

    Short Poems Despite The Storms By S.C. Lourie

    Finding Joy Once More

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A limerick is a short and fun five-line poem with a distinctive rhythm. The first, second and fifth lines are longer than the third and fourth lines. The rhyming pattern is AABBA. The longer A lines rhyme with each other and the shorter B lines rhyme with each other.


  • Line 1: 7-10 syllables A

  • Line 2: 7-10 syllables A

  • Line 3: 5-7 syllables B

  • Line 4: 5-7 syllables B

  • Line 5: 7-10 syllables A

  1. A Wonderful Bird Is The Pelican

    A Wonderful Bird Is The Pelican By Dixon Lanier Merritt

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  2. Limericks By Edward Lear

    Limericks By Edward Lear

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  3. Candy Tree Shops

    Limericks Poems For Kids About Sweets

    • Stories 4
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  4. Statistics

    Funny Poem About Taking A Break From Data Analysis

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  5. Music Players: A Brief History

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This ancient form of poem writing is renowned for its small size as well as the precise punctuation and syllables needed on its three lines. It is of ancient Japanese origin. It contains 17 syllables in 3 lines of five, seven, five. Haiku poems are typically about nature and usually about a specific season. Writing a haiku requires effort but the poem is well worth it. It is easy to feel a sense of perfection when viewing a perfectly formed Haiku.
  1. Haiku Year

    Haiku Poem About Months Of The Year

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  2. Together

    Haiku About Spending Time With The One You Love

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  3. Loneliness (Haiku)

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    • Votes 64
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  4. Mellow May

    Haiku Poem For The Month Of May

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  5. October's Gold

    • Stories 1
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People have used metaphors since the birth of mankind. Metaphors are a way to get around censorship as well as to help us see truths that we may not be able to face if they were stated plainly. It is a way to accentuate beauty as well as pain through this medium of the unstated comparison. When you are reading an appropriate metaphor you are immediately drawn between the truth of the comparison that is being alluded to. The ability to understand metaphoric language opens the key to poetry of tremendous beauty.
  1. The Mountain

    The Mountain By Emily Dickinson

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  2. The Spider And The Fly

    The Spider And The Fly By Mary Howitt

    • Stories 6
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  3. Though All The Fates

    Though All The Fates By Henry David Thoreau

    • Stories 0
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    • Votes 106
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  4. Fog

    Fog By Carl Sandburg

    • Stories 1
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  5. The Oak And The Rose

    The Oak And The Rose By Shel Silverstein

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A sonnet is a poem that has 14 lines and follows a specific rhyme scheme. It comes from the Italian word that means “little song.” There are various types of sonnets, and each one is formatted a little differently, following various rhyme schemes. The three main types are the Italian (or Petrarchan) sonnet, the English (or Shakespearean) sonnet, and the Spenserian sonnet. They are named after the poets who made them famous. These forms have been around since the sixteenth century.


Visit our Poetic Forms page for More about Sonnets


  1. How Do I Love Thee?

    How Do I Love Thee? (Sonnet 43) By Elizabeth Barrett Browning

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  2. I Wish I Could Remember That First Day

    I Wish I Could Remember That First Day By Christina Rossetti

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  3. When I Have Fears

    When I Have Fears By John Keats

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  4. Acquainted With The Night

    Acquainted With The Night By Robert Frost

    • Stories 2
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  5. My Mistress' Eyes Are Nothing Like The Sun

    My Mistress' Eyes Are Nothing Like The Sun By William Shakespeare

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An acrostic poem is a poem where the first letters of each line spell out a word or phrase vertically that acts as the theme or message of the poem. Sometimes a word or phrase can also be found down the middle or end of the poem, but the most common is at the beginning. A lot of people use these poems to describe people or holidays, and lines can be made up of single words or phrases. Acrostic poems do not follow a specific rhyme scheme, so they are easier to write.
  1. Marriage

    Marriage Acrostic Poem

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  2. Father

    Acrostic Poem About Father Passing Away

    • Stories 5
    • Shares 1995
    • Favorited 21
    • Votes 265
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  3. B - Is For Birthday

    Birthday Acrostic Poem

    • Stories 1
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  4. A F-R-I-E-N-D

    How Lucky I Am To Have A Friend Like You

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  5. Hope In A Dream

    Acrostic Poem About Achieving Your Dreams

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