If you have always wanted to write poetry but do not know where to start, look no further. Here are four different types of poems to try. In this article, you will learn the basic rules behind creating a sonnet, haiku, limerick and free verse poem.
SONNET
Sonnets are made up of fourteen lines written in iambic pentameter. Iambic pentameter essentially puts a stress on every other syllable in a line of ten syllables. The stress pattern (or rhythmic meter) for one line is da DA da DA da DA da DA da DA. The all-caps DA are the stressed syllables whereas the lowercase ones are unstressed syllables.
There are two types of sonnets. The first is the Italian sonnet, as that is where the form originated. The second type is the Shakespearean sonnet.
The Italian (Petrarchan) Sonnet
There are two potential rhyming patterns. Rhyming patterns essentially show you how the end of each line does or does not rhyme with the other lines in the poem. The patterns below are depicted with letters.
The first pattern is: ABBA, ABBA, CDC, DCD
Here is an example with the iambic pentameter and das from above and words that match the rhyme pattern. Remember that the last word of each line is stressed.
Line 1: da DA da DA da DA da DA da ART
Line 2: da DA da DA da DA da DA da HAIR
Line 3: da DA da DA da DA da DA da BARE
Line 4: da DA da DA da DA da DA da DART
Line 5: da DA da DA da DA da DA da SMART
Line 6: da DA da DA da DA da DA da CHAIR
Line 7: da DA da DA da DA da DA da RARE
Line 8: da DA da DA da DA da DA da CART
Line 9: da DA da DA da DA da DA da WHY
Line 10: da DA da DA da DA da DA da KNOW
Line 11: da DA da DA da DA da DA da SLY
Line 12: da DA da DA da DA da DA da ROW
Line 13: da DA da DA da DA da DA da NIGH
Line 14: da DA da DA da DA da DA da BOW
The second pattern is: ABBA, ABBA, CDE, CDE
Lines 1-8 are the same only 9-14 have changed its pattern, so those are the only ones listed below.
Line 9: da DA da DA da DA da DA da WHY
Line 10: da DA da DA da DA da DA da KNOW
Line 11: da DA da DA da DA da DA da RIGHT
Line 12: da DA da DA da DA da DA da SLY
Line 13: da DA da DA da DA da DA da ROW
Line 14: da DA da DA da DA da DA da LIGHT
The Shakespearean Sonnet
The Shakespearean sonnet pattern is ABAB, CDCD, EFEF, GG. These letters represent the end of line. Here is an example in the same format as the examples above:
Line 1: da DA da DA da DA da DA da ART
Line 2: da DA da DA da DA da DA da HAIR
Line 3: da DA da DA da DA da DA da DART
Line 4: da DA da DA da DA da DA da BARE
Line 5: da DA da DA da DA da DA da WHY
Line 6: da DA da DA da DA da DA da KNOW
Line 7: da DA da DA da DA da DA da SLY
Line 8: da DA da DA da DA da DA da ROW
Line 9: da DA da DA da DA da DA da RIGHT
Line 10: da DA da DA da DA da DA da GREW
Line 11: da DA da DA da DA da DA da LIGHT
Line 12: da DA da DA da DA da DA da DREW
Line 13: da DA da DA da DA da DA da RING
Line 14: da DA da DA da DA da DA da SING
HAIKU
A Haiku is a form of Japanese poetry. It is a three lined poem. There is no specific rhyming pattern. It rather focuses on syllables. The first line is 5 syllables. The second line is 7 syllables. The third line is 5 syllables. So, 5,7,5 is what you need to remember. An example haiku is below. It is part of a poem that I wrote a few years ago.
Fear? of the Future?
I think not! I won’t fear plans
Of prosperity
Z’necia Hall, haiku from Fear? of the Future?
LIMERICK
There are five lines in a limerick. The rhyme pattern is as follows: AABBA. An example word will be placed behind each line below so you can see an example of the pattern. There is also a specific stress pattern with a limerick. This is also known as a meter or rhythm, such as the iambic pentameter. The limerick flows something like this (da = unstressed syllable, DA = stressed syllable):
Line 1: da DA da da DA da da DA (day)
Line 2: da DA da da DA da da DA (may)
Line 3: da DA da da DA (no)
Line 4: da DA da da DA (grow)
Line 5: da DA da da DA da da DA (stay)
Here is a fun example from a tv show called The Electric Company showing how to create a limerick:
FREE VERSE
There are essentially no rules with free verse. There is no rhythmic meter that must be followed. There is no line length. People can essentially do whatever they want when writing a free verse poem. This leads me to my final thought on poetry for this article.
While there are potential forms that you can follow, it is important to know that you can create your own form, mix a few together or just completely write whatever comes from your heart for that exact poem. It really does not matter. I personally love poetry because it allows me to be creative with words in whatever way I want. It does not have to be one hundred percent grammatically correct. The word order doesn’t have to be as if it were an essay. You can paint a picture, create a feeling, or even tell a story with an intentional mixture of words in a design that only you can create. That is what poetry is to me and why I really want you to know that following a specific form, while it is helpful to stretch your brain and creative abilities, it is not necessary to start writing poetry. Now, it’s time to get out your pens (digital or physical) and start writing some awesome poems! 🙂