This document discusses different types of poems including ballads, sonnets, limericks, epitaphs, acrostics, haiku, chinquapin, epic poems, and allegories. It provides brief definitions and examples of each type of poem. Ballads narrate stories in song, sonnets are 14 line poems with specific rhyme schemes, and limericks are funny 5 line poems. Epitaphs are inscriptions on tombs, acrostics use the first letters to spell words, and haiku are 3 line Japanese poems about nature. It concludes that poetry delights the soul regardless of specific type.

1. Reinza Claire G. Valdez VII-Aguinaldo
Different Types of Poems
Ballad Poem
these are those poems that narrate a story, like in a folk tale and often has repeated
refrain. It is mostly centered on love and is sung. In simple words, it's a story expressed
in poetic form.
Sonnet
Derived from Occitan and Italian words meaning 'little song', sonnets are short 14 line
poems. Sonnets usually have one or more rhyme scenes. People who write sonnets are
oft referred to as sonneteers. The famous William Shakespeare has 154 sonnets to his
credit.
Limerick
Limericks are funny five line poems, wherein, the last words of the first, second and fifth
line rhyme with one another. Moreover, the last words of the middle third and fourth
line rhyme with each other. The famous Edward Lear in his Book of Nonsense included
this form of poetry.
Epitaph
A commemorative inscription or short text on a tomb written to honor and praise a
deceased person is termed as epitaph. People either prepare their own epitaphs before
dying or have their loved ones choose one for their tombstone after they are dead. The
famous poet W.B Yeats composed his own epitaph.
Acrostic
this type of poem comprises the first letters of each line forming a word or message
relating to the subject. The word formed is usually the subject of the poem. Acrostics
poems are often used as mnemonic devices to aid memory retrieval.
Haiku
Form of Japanese poetry that dwells on nature and feelings. The poet uses his or her
observational skills to write what he or she observes in a new, innovative manner. Haiku

2. poems are three line poems with 5 syllables in the first line, 7 in the second line and 5 in
the third line. With just three lines, the poet expresses his or her emotion to the reader.
These three lines do not rhyme.
Chinquapin
Invented by the American poet, Adelaide Crapsey, chinquapin poems are five line
poems. These five lines do not rhyme with one another; however, contain fixed number
of syllables in each line. The first line contains one or two syllables, the second line
contains 2 - 4 syllables, the third line contains 6 syllables, the fourth line contains 8
syllables and the last fifth line contains two syllables.
Epic Poem
these poems are long, serious, narrative poems that pertain to heroic acts significant to
a nation or culture or race. They depict a heroic figures journey and the struggles faced
to bring honor to the nation. These heroes are mythological figures. Some of the most
significant example of epic poetry are Homer's Iliad and Odyssey and the great Indian
epics of Mahabharata and Ramayana.
Allegory
Allegory is a narrative having hidden meanings. The reader has to read between the
lines to understand an allegory. The story expressed through the poem will have two
meanings, with the obvious literal one and the hidden symbolic one. The hidden or
underlying meaning will have a moral to it.
Besides the above mentioned kinds of poems, there are so many more different kinds of
poetry such as epigram, free verse, dark poetry, nursery rhyme, couplet, minnesang,
pantoum, sestina, etc. The list is an extensive one. However, irrespective of the kind of
poetry and poems, poems in general are a delight to the soul!