Poetry is a form of writing that has been around for quite some time. It has often been regarded as a unique form of creative writing because of the use of rhymes and imagery. Over time different types of poetry have emerged creating a long list of acceptable ways to communicate with this genre. Below is a list of the traditional types:
1) Ballad
A ballad is a poem which tells a story. These are written in four-line stanzas called quatrains. Rhyme schemes generally follow an aabb, abab and abcd pattern. Often the first and third lines have four accented syllables and the second and fourth have three.
2) Limerick
A fun type of poetry is a limerick which is a humorous verse written with five lines. The first, second and fifth lines usually rhyme and have three syllables where as the third and fourth rhyme and have two syllables.
3) Haiku
Haiku is a type of Japanese poetry which attempts to ellicit a picture of nature. Haikus are only three lines in length. The first and third lines have five syllables and the second has seven.
4) Lyric
Lyric is a type of poetry which expresses personal feeling. Lyrics can follow several different patterns but are commonly broken up into groups of five lines. Groups of lines are called stanzas.
5) Epic
Epics are a type of poetry that have been around for centuries. They are long story poems which describe the adventures of a hero. A very popular epic is The Odyssey by Homer which describes the famous adventures of Odysseus.
6) Sonnet
Shakespeare is known for using sonnets. Sonnets are fourteen-line poems which state a poet’s personal feelings. Each line in a sonnet is ten syllables in length and every other syllable is stressed beginning with the second syllable.
For me, no matter what is the form of your poem, well, that covers the type of course, as long us you delivered the thing that you wanted to let go of, the thing that you want to say, it is still a poem. It expresses you, it defines who you are.