Types of Poems

Welcome to the
world of poetry.

Maya Angelou is
an American
poet, memoirist,
and civil rights
activist

"I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings"

She is best known for her
seven autobiographies. Her
first biography, I Know Why
the Caged Bird Sings, tells
of her life up to age 17 and
brought her international
recognition and acclaim. She
published three books of
essays, several collections
of poems, and received
dozens of awards and more
than 50 honorary degrees.

Still I Rise (Excerpt)
BY MAYA ANGELOU
You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may trod me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I'll rise.

Does my sassiness upset you?
Why are you beset with gloom?
’Cause I walk like I've got oil wells
Pumping in my living room.

Different Types of Poems

Haikus are a form of Japanese
poetry that traditionally
evoke images of the natural
world.

Famous for its 5-7-5 syllable
format, a Haiku can capture
the essence of a moment in
just a few words.

Haikus of
nature

Epic verse is a long,
narrative style of poetry
that tells a heroic story or
legend.

It usually consists of a
specific poetic meter, such
as hexameter or pentameter,
and uses a formal structure
and rhyme scheme.

Epic verse is often
associated with epic poems,
which highlight the
adventures and heroic deeds
of legendary figures.

Epic Verse

Free verse is a poetic form
that does not follow a
specific rhyme scheme or
meter.

It allows poets to express
themselves without any strict
rules. They have the freedom
to organize their lines and
stanzas in a way that suits
their creativity and vision.

This form often mimics the
rhythm of natural speech,
making it feel more
conversational.

Free Verse

Fixed verse refers to
specific poetic forms with
well-defined structures,
rhyme schemes, and meter.

Examples of fixed verse
include sonnets, or haikus.

These forms have strict rules
poets must follow, which can
include predetermined line
lengths, rhyme patterns, and
syllable counts.

Fixed Verse

Blank verse Is a form of
poetry that does not have a
strict rhyme scheme but
follows a specific meter,
usually iambic pentameter.

It consists of lines that are
ten syllables long and have a
pattern of unstressed and
stressed syllables.

Blank verse is often used in
dramatic monologues or poetic
speeches to convey a sense of
rhythm and flow.

Blank Verse

A sonnet is a poem of
fourteen lines using any of a
number of formal rhyme
schemes, in English typically
having ten syllables per
line.

Sonnet

A ballad a poem or song
narrating a story in short
stanzas. Traditional ballads
are typically of unknown
authorship, having been
passed on orally from one
generation to the next.

Ballad