Figurative Language and Poetry Terms

Structure Structure is the way a poem is organized – usually this means how long the poem is, how many lines are in each stanza, whether or not words rhyme, and other stuff like that.

Rhyme Scheme Rhyme scheme is the way words that rhyme are arranged within a poem.

Verse Verse is another word for poetry.

Blank Verse Blank verse is a type of poetry that contains no rhymes but has rules about line length and structure.

Free Verse Free verse is a style of poetry with no set length or rhyme scheme; its only rule is that there are no rules. Example – “Hist Whist” by e.e. cummings

Lyric Verse Lyric verse is a broad classification for poems that are shorter than narrative poems and describe feelings and emotions. Example – “A Red, Red Rose” by Robert Burns

Stanza A stanza is the way lines are grouped together, like paragraphs, in a poem.

Couplet A couplet is a stanza made up of two lines.

Triplet A triplet is a stanza made up of three lines.

Quatrain A quatrain is a stanza made up of four lines.

Acrostics An acrostic is a poem where the first letter of each line spells a word which can be read vertically. The rhyme scheme and number of the lines may vary in acrostic poems.

Example: My mother is love Only she can heal my wounds The cookies she bakes are delicious Hot are her famous chicken wings Elizabeth is her name Red is the color of her Corvette.

Alphabet Poem An alphabet poem is a poem that is arranged so that readers follow through every letter of the alphabet; from A to Z. Example – “Alphabet Poem”

Ballad A ballad is a poem that tells a short story in a moving and exciting way. Example – “The Pied Piper of Hamlin” by Robert Browning

Haiku Haiku is a short poem of three lines and 17 syllables describing nature, often at a particular time of year.

Limericks A limerick is a short, humorous, five-line poem.

Narrative Poem A narrative poem is when a story is told in the form of a poem. The word “narrative” comes from narrator – one who tells stories. Example – “Paul Revere’s Ride” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Nonsense Poem A nonsense poem is a type of poetry featuring fantastic images of made-up words that entertain through its wild silliness. Example – “Jabberwocky” By Lewis Carroll

Nursery Rhymes A nursery rhyme is a fun, usually short poem written for children and often recited at bedtime. Example – “Old Mother Hubbard” By Sarah Catherine Martin

Shaped Poem A shaped poem is a poem whose line length and structure is arranged carefully so that the poem’s shape on the page adds to the meaning. Example – “Easter Wings” by George Herbert

Villanelle A villanelle is a nineteen-line poem with a careful rhyme scheme. Example – “Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night” By Dylan Thomas