GENRE OF POEMS

Poems come from different periods and cultures throughout time. Several examples of different Genres of poems are listed below.

Genre of Poems

Ballad

Ballads are songs that are preserved through oral communication. An example of a popular ballad is Imagine by John Lennon.

Sonnet

Ballads are usually recognized to be synonymous with William Shakespeare. Sonnets are fourteen-line lyric poems, traditionally written in iambic pentameter. An example of a sonnet is William Shakespeare’s, Shall I compare thee to a Summer’s day?

Villanelle

The Villanelle is a formal poem of 19 lines with alternating repeated refrain lines and a strict rhyme scheme. A popular Villanelle is by W.H. Auden, If I could tell you.

The Elegy

The Elegy was adopted by Renaissance writers, which used its form as pastoral poetry. However, most classical elegies were love poems.

Want to discover more about poetic genres? Take a look at the links below.
http://www.starve.org/teaching/intro-poetry/genre.html

http://www.wwnorton.com/college/english/nap/dialogue_elegy.htm

http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0072405228/student_view0/poetic_glossary.html