Forms of Poetry

Poetry can be any length and take any form. Or a poem can have no "set" form and be called free verse.

However, some poems do have forms and people decided to name what each form is. Some people would rather write to form. They think poems are more powerful when they are structured in a certain way. (This can be true. It depends on the poem.) Also, some people feel more comfortable writing with a road map, so to speak. They like to have an idea of where their writing is going before they begin.

So, if you want to write a poem and are not sure how to get started, check out different poetry forms and see if they inspire you!

I was going to list all the types of poetry but, in researching this topic, I discovered that many people recognize 150 different forms of poetry. Each form has certain name and certain rules about length of poem, number of syllables, number of lines, etc.

For a wonderful list of all 150 forms of poetry, check out this amazing site:
The Poet's Garrett

This website lists all 150 of the poetic forms in order alphabetically, from Acrostic to ZaneLa Rhyme. If you click on the type of poem, you will be sent to a page that explains what arrangement that type of poem has and then (the best part) lists many, many poems in each form for your reading enjoyment!

And, as always, feel free to post any of the poems you write in comments. I would love to read them!

With 150 forms to choose from, you are bound to be inspired to write more poetry!