Literature - Poetry Genres

Here you will learn some English words related to poetry genres such as "sonnet", "ballad", and "ode".

review-disable

review

flashcard-disable

flashcard

spelling-disable

spelling

quiz-disable

quiz

start-learning
Literature
aubade [noun]

a musical piece or poem appropriate to or influenced by the dawn or early morning

ballad [noun]

a tale that is narrated in the form of a song or poem

Ex: The folk singer-songwriter wrote a new ballad about the struggles of ordinary people in modern society .

a type of poem or acrostic in which each line, stanza, or word begins with the successive letters of the alphabet

acrostic [noun]

a poem or other piece of writing in which certain letters of each line, usually the initial letters, spell out a word or phrase

a poem in which the words or letters are arranged on the page in a visual pattern or shape that reflects the meaning or theme of the poem

didactic [adjective]

aiming to teach a moral lesson

Ex: Some critics argue that the film 's message was too didactic , overshadowing its artistic merits .
dirge [noun]

a song, poem, or musical composition expressing grief, especially one performed at a funeral or memorial

Ex: The bagpipes played a haunting dirge that echoed across the moor .

a poem in the narrative or speech form, in which the speaker's character is revealed while describing a situation or a series of events

eclogue [noun]

a form of poetry that originated in ancient Greek and Roman literature, typically consisting of a short, pastoral poem or dialogue between two shepherds

Ex: The poet 's latest collection included several eclogues inspired by the beauty of the countryside and the simplicity of rural life .

a type of poetry that explores and celebrates the natural world, often expressing concerns about environmental degradation

elegy [noun]

a song or poem expressing sadness, especially in the memory of a dead person or a bitter event in the past

Ex: In literature , an elegy is a poetic form that expresses sorrow and lamentation , often commemorating the dead or reflecting on the transient nature of life .
elliptical [adjective]

a style of writing that employs brevity, omission, or suggestion, often omitting words, phrases, or entire sections of a sentence

epic [noun]

a long poem in narrative form giving an account of the extraordinary deeds and adventures of a nation's heroes or legends

Ex: The film adaptation captured the grandeur of the medieval epic .
epigram [noun]

a short poem or phrase that expresses a single thought satirically, often ending in a clever or humorous way

Ex: The poet 's epigram cleverly highlighted the absurdity of the political situation .

a type of poem that celebrates a wedding or marriage, typically composed in honor of the bride and groom

epyllion [noun]

a type of narrative poem that originated in ancient Greek and Roman literature, typically characterized by a brief and highly polished style, an episodic or fragmentary structure, and a focus on erotic or romantic themes

a type of narrative poem or song that is traditionally passed down through oral tradition and often tells a story of adventure, love, tragedy, or other dramatic events

gnomic [adjective]

expressing general truths or aphorisms about life, often in a didactic or instructional tone, and frequently employing metaphors, paradoxes, and other literary devices to convey its meaning

a type of poem that follows the structure and style of the odes written by the ancient Roman poet Horace, characterized by a relatively simple and informal tone, a personal and reflective voice, and a focus on themes of nature, love, and everyday life

hymn [noun]

a religious song intended to praise God, especially sung by Christians in congregation

Ex: They chose a well-known hymn for the wedding ceremony .
lament [noun]

a song, musical piece, poem, etc. that expresses the feeling of sorrow and sadness after a loss or death

Ex: The folk song was a traditional lament for soldiers who had fallen in battle .
limerick [noun]

a humorous poem of five anapestic lines with a rhyme scheme of AABBA

Ex: The children giggled at the silly limerick read by their teacher .
lyric [noun]

a usually short form of poetry expressing personal feelings and thoughts

madrigal [noun]

a song without instruments consisting of several vocals, singing about secular themes in the 16th century

a type of poetry that employs the style and language of epic or heroic poetry to satirize or parody a trivial or mundane subject, often using irony, exaggeration, and other comedic devices to create a humorous effect

a type of poetry that uses humorous and nonsensical language and ideas to create a playful and often absurd effect, frequently employing invented words, nonsense rhymes, and illogical or surreal imagery

a type of poetry that is written to commemorate a specific event or occasion, such as a wedding, a birthday, a holiday, or a political or social event

a type of poetry that is intended to be entertaining and humorous, often focusing on everyday life, romantic relationships, social interactions, and other lighthearted themes

ode [noun]

a lyric poem, written in varied or irregular metrical form, for a particular object, person, or concept

Ex: The classical musician performed a musical rendition of the famous ode .
palinode [noun]

a type of poem in which the poet retracts or recants a statement made in an earlier poem

a speech or piece of writing that praises someone or something

Ex: At the ceremony , the speaker delivered a heartfelt panegyric to honor the retiring professor ’s lifetime of achievements .
pastoral [noun]

a type of poem that depicts rural life, nature, and the simple pleasures of country living

a type of lyric poem characterized by a complex structure, elaborate metaphors, and a celebratory tone

slam [noun]

a competitive event in which poets recite original work and the audience evaluates and selects the winner

Ex: Contestants prepared for the slam with rehearsed verses .

a type of poetry that omits or minimizes the use of verbs, relying instead on adjectives, nouns, and other descriptive language to create vivid and sensory imagery

a poetic form consisting of seven sonnets, in which the last line of each sonnet is repeated as the first line of the next, and the final line of the seventh sonnet is the same as the first line of the first sonnet

a type of poetry that is created by taking pre-existing, non-poetic texts, such as advertisements, newspaper articles, or even grocery lists, and transforming them into a poetic form

haiku [noun]

a Japanese poem with three unrhymed lines that have five, seven and five syllables each

Ex: Students learned to compose a haiku during their literature class .
tanka [noun]

a traditional form of Japanese poetry consisting of five lines, with a syllable count of 5-7-5-7-7

syllabic [adjective]

(of verse) using a specific number of syllables per line or stanza, rather than relying on a specific meter or rhyme scheme

sonnet [noun]

a verse of Italian origin that has 14 lines, usually in an iambic pentameter and a prescribed rhyme scheme

Ex: The poet recited a classic sonnet by Shakespeare during the literary evening .

a type of sonnet consisting of 14 lines, typically written in iambic pentameter and following a rhyme scheme of ABAB CDCD EFEF GG

a verse without rhyme, especially one with ten syllables and five stresses, known as an iambic pentameter

clerihew [noun]

a humorous form of poetry consisting of four lines