Structure Elements of a Poem

Poetry is uniquely human.

Poetry is a form of artistic expression that is ages old and never gets old.

It is one part visual, another part sound, and altogether, poetry is a unique way to get feelings/memories/emotions out of one's mind and onto a page.

​Poetry is simultaneously spontaneous and meticulous.

​Structure, sound, imagery, figurative language

​Poetry Analysis: Interpreting Meanings and Form

Don't be intimidated or confused by poetry! Poetry is great to explore.

Let's start with the basics:

structural elements commonly used in poems.

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Structural Elements

Structural Elements Include:

• Form

• Line length

• Line breaks

• White space

• Indention

• Stanza

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Structural Elements in Poems

​Today we will cover form, line length & line breaks.

Let's begin with "form." This refers to the structure of the poem.

Structural Element: Form

​Notice the form in the poem pictured on the left?

​"A poem’s form refers to its structure: elements like its line lengths and meters, stanza lengths, rhyme schemes (if any) and systems of repetition. 

Every poem has a form."

Structural Element: Form

writers.com/what-is-form-in-poetry

Poems are made up of lines, and groups of lines are called stanzas.

​Structural Element:

Poem Line Length

​Poets sometimes put lines in different lengths to show emotion.

• Long lines show drama, energy or force

• Short lines sometimes show calmness, or quiet

Line length in poetry matters.

Line length helps create the whole "vibe," or overall tone or message of the poem.

​Structural Element:

Line Length

Some traditional forms such as haiku or villanelle have set rules. Line breaks are generally not governed by rules. Instead, it’s up the poet to decide when and how to break a line. 

(Williams, diymfa.com)

​Structural Element:

Line Breaks in Poems

A line break occurs at the end of a line, indicating where the reader must move to the next line.

​Structural Element:

Line Breaks

​Line breaks may split a sentence or idea into multiple sections to change the way a poet’s words occupy visual space on the page.

​Structural Element:

Line Breaks

Another purpose of the line break is to cause the reader to briefly pause before moving to the next line.