The Genres of Poetry

What are the Genres of Poetry?

The students of English Literature must know the genres of poetry. They should know the elements that make a poem either narrative or lyric. They should know the fundamental features of the sonnet, ode, elegy, dramatic monologue, metaphysical poetry, modern poetry, and more. The knowledge of these forms makes the students capable of interpreting a poem easily. In a broad view, the poems are of two types-

1. Lyric
2. Ballad

The following classification may be helpful: These are also called Generic Forms.

Lyric

• Sonnet
• Elegy
• Ode
• Metaphysical poetry
• Dramatic Monologue
• Free Verse
• Hymn
• Epithalamion

Ballad

• Ballad
• Epic
• Metrical Romance

Poetry is divided into different genres based on its style, form, and purpose. Below are the major genres of poetry with detailed explanations and examples:

1. Narrative Poetry

Narrative poetry tells a story with a beginning, middle, and end. It includes characters, dialogues, and events, similar to a short story or novel. It often has a rhythmic structure and sometimes uses rhyme.

Types of Narrative Poetry:

• Epic Poetry – A long poem about heroic deeds, often involving gods, battles, and grand adventures.
  • Example: The Iliad by Homer – This Greek epic narrates the events of the Trojan War and focuses on the hero Achilles.
  • Example: Paradise Lost by John Milton – This English epic describes the fall of Adam and Eve and Satan’s rebellion against God.
• Ballad – A shorter narrative poem, usually written in simple language, with a strong rhythm and a repeated refrain. It often tells tragic, romantic, or heroic tales.
  • Example: The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge – A long ballad about a sailor cursed after killing an albatross.
  • Example: The Ballad of Reading Gaol by Oscar Wilde – A reflective ballad on crime, punishment, and suffering.

2. Lyric Poetry

Lyric poetry expresses deep emotions and personal thoughts rather than telling a complete story. It is often musical in nature and can be short or long.

Types of Lyric Poetry:

• Sonnet – A 14-line poem with a specific rhyme scheme and structure.
  • Example: Sonnet 18 by William Shakespeare – Begins with “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?” and praises the beauty of a loved one.
  • Example: Ozymandias by Percy Bysshe Shelley – A sonnet about the fall of a great king and the power of time.
• Ode – A serious and formal poem that praises a person, place, thing, or idea.
  • Example: Ode to a Nightingale by John Keats – Expresses admiration for the beauty of a bird’s song.
  • Example: Ode on a Grecian Urn by John Keats – Explores the timeless beauty of art.
• Elegy – A poem of mourning or sorrow, often written for someone who has died.
  • Example: Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard by Thomas Gray – A meditation on death and the lives of common people.
  • Example: When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d by Walt Whitman – Written after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.
• Pastoral Poetry – Celebrates rural life, nature, and simplicity, often featuring shepherds and countryside scenes.
  • Example: The Passionate Shepherd to His Love by Christopher Marlowe – A shepherd invites his beloved to live with him in nature.
  • Example: Lycidas by John Milton – A pastoral elegy mourning a friend’s death.

3. Dramatic Poetry

Dramatic poetry is written in the form of a speech or dialogue. It is often used in plays but can also be a stand-alone poem.

Types of Dramatic Poetry:

• Dramatic Monologue – A poem in which a single character speaks to an audience, revealing their thoughts and emotions.
  • Example: My Last Duchess by Robert Browning – A nobleman speaks about his late wife, revealing his controlling nature.
  • Example: The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock by T.S. Eliot – A modern dramatic monologue expressing anxiety and self-doubt.
• Verse Drama – A play written in poetic form.
  • Example: Hamlet by William Shakespeare – Uses poetic dialogue to express deep emotions.
  • Example: Murder in the Cathedral by T.S. Eliot – A verse drama about the assassination of Thomas Becket.

4. Satirical Poetry

Satirical poetry uses humor, irony, and exaggeration to criticize society, politics, or human behavior.

• Example: The Rape of the Lock by Alexander Pope – A mock-epic poem that humorously describes a trivial event (cutting a lock of hair) in a grand, serious style.
• Example: Don Juan by Lord Byron – A satirical epic that makes fun of romance and heroism.

5. Haiku

Haiku is a Japanese poetic form with three lines (5-7-5 syllables). It captures a moment in nature or an emotion simply and directly.

• Example:
  “An old silent pond
  A frog jumps into the pond—
  Splash! Silence again.” – Matsuo Bashō

6. Limerick

Limericks are humorous five-line poems with a specific rhythm and rhyme scheme (AABBA). They often have a playful or witty tone.

• Example:
  “There was an old man with a beard,
  Who said, ‘It is just as I feared!
  Two owls and a hen,
  Four larks and a wren,
  Have all built their nests in my beard!'” – Edward Lear

Each genre of poetry has a unique purpose and style. Narrative poetry tells stories, lyric poetry expresses emotions, and dramatic poetry brings characters to life. Satirical poetry criticizes society, while haiku and limericks capture moments with brevity and humor. These different types make poetry a rich and diverse form of literary expression.