Table of Poetic Forms - QuestGarden.com

Table of Poetic Forms
Use the descriptions below to choose a form of poetry which interests you. When it’s time to study a form, follow the links to samples of and
information about the form.
Haiku
Haiku is an ancient Japanese form of poetry; its among
the oldest kinds of poetry still written today. Haiku
continues to fascinate poets because its short length
and rigid syllable count force the poet to balance
brevity and clarity.
Here are some haiku links to investigate:
Kidzone
Giggle Poetry
Haiku for Beginners
Works by TYC Youth
Jane Reichhold’s Autumn Livelihood Samples
In addition to the links, please check out at least one
haiku book from the bin in our classroom. It is not
necessary to read the entire book; simply sample a few
of the poems.
Free Verse
Some people think that poetry has to rhyme. They’re
wrong. One of the most common forms of poetry is
the free verse poem. Poets who write free verse don’t
have to think about a rhyme or rhythm scheme.
Instead, they use other poetic devices to communicate
their message.
Here are some links to free verse poems:
Free Verse Think Quest
The UVic Writer’s Guide
Langston Hughes (“Theme for English B”)
Langston Hughes (“The Negro Speaks of Rivers” –
don’t miss the poet reading his own work!)
Nikki Giovanni (“The Drum”)
Sonnet
Although a sonnet can be about anything, many sonnets
were (and still are!) written as love poetry. Sonnets
were particularly popular during the Renaissance, when
writing poetry was considered an important part of
being a well-rounded individual. Perhaps the most
famous writer of sonnets is William Shakespeare; one
type of sonnet, named after him, is called the
“Shakespearean sonnet.”
Here are some sonnet links:
Craft of Poetry (A guide to sonnets)
Sonnets (One of Shakespeare’s sonnets is used to
explain the form)
Sonnets for Dummies (Even though you certainly aren’t
a dummy, you might find this useful!)
Sonnets by Grade 7s and 8s (You will need to scroll
down the page to get to the sonnets.)
In addition to the links, check out the sonnets your
teacher(s) have written; you’ll find them – and more of
Shakespeare’s sonnets -- in the bin in the classroom.
Limerick
Rarely introspective or beautiful, limericks sometimes
don’t seem like poems at all. They’re funny and
raucous. (And some of them are so bawdy you won’t
see them in this WebQuest!)
Here are some limerick links:
Limerick
Quick Limerick Lesson
Giggle Poetry
Poetry-Online (Here’s a site with MANY poems written
by Edward Lear, a famous writer of limericks; you’ll
want to pick and choose which to read.)
Cinquain
The cinquain was invented by a woman named
Adelaide Crapsey in the early 1900s. She was
interested in haiku, but she felt that it was too limiting
to work well in English. When she designed the
cinquain she tried to keep the flavour of the haiku but
give English speakers a little more freedom within the
form.
Here are some cinquain links:
CanTeach (Here’s a VERY simple explanation.)
Poets.org (A more detailed –and accurate-- definition.)
Cinquain Homepage (Don’t miss the links to samples
embedded at the top of the page.)
Cinquain Example (Three more good samples.)
When you get to Part B of this WebQuest, try using the
Instant Cinquain as a graphic organizer for your
original poem.
Concrete Poetry
Another form which sometimes seems very different
from what we usually consider poetry is the concrete
poem. In fact, the concrete poem is sometimes
considered a genre of visual art, as well as writing. In
a concrete poem, the shape of the poem is just as
important as the content of the poem; in fact, the shape
informs the content and vice versa.
Here are some links to concrete poems:
Concrete Poems
NASA “Wright”-ing Prompt (Only the first two pages
of this document will be helpful to you.)
Concrete Poems! (Terrific samples!)
Court’s Concrete Creations
As you read the information on these sites, you may find that you need to review some of the poetry terms we have studied. Here are links to
two different glossaries: 1) an easier to read site and 2) one that’s harder to read but has more terms

As you read the information on these sites, you may find that you need to review some of the poetry terms we have studied. Here are links to
two different glossaries: 1) an easier to read site and 2) one that’s harder to read but has more terms