. . . poetical forms
| dialogue | (die’ – uh – log) from the Greek for conversation a narrative poem with two or more alternate voices or speakers example: Richard Katrovas’s “The Child” example: Laura Decuir’s “Imprisoned” |
| didactic poetry | (die – dak’ – tik) from the Greek for skilled in teaching a poem or poetry whose primary purpose is to teach. mnemonic |
| dithyramb | (dith’ – ih –ram) originally a Greek choral hymn or poem written and performed for Dionysus, the god of wine. It is now associated with any poem that is wild and rhapsodic, showing an enthusiastic expression of feeling. example: Clelie Ancelet’s “Holy Bedlam” |
| dramatic monologue | a narrative poem where the speaker of the poem is a character or persona instead of poet’s or a neutral voice. The speaker must be identified through the details and allusions, but does not have to be named specifically. example: William Greenway’s “Ophelia Writes Home” example: Lee Meitzen Grue’s “The Catahoula Hound Visits the Dream of Jean Pierre” example: Ava Leavell Haymon’s “Chill Seeping Out of the Old Forest” |
| eclogue | (ek’ – log) from the Greek for selection a pastoral poem, often in the form of a dialogue between shepherd. It can also refer to any poem about rural life. |
| ekphrastic poetry | (ek – fras’ – tik) from the Greek for speaking out a poem or poetry that is written in response to a work or works of non-literary art, often visual art, but also music, dance, and drama. ekphrasis example: Gina Ferrara’s “Besthoff’s Sculpture Garden” example: Marthe Reed’s “untitled sculpture in copper, silver, and cotton” |
| elegy | (el’ – uh – gee) from the Greek for mournful song also called a lament or threnody a poem for someone who has died; a love poem for the dead example: Ginny Kaczmarek’s “Lament” example: Lee Meitzen Grue’s “In the Garden” |
| elemental ode | |
| epic | (ep’ – ik) from the Greek for song, narrative from the oral tradition, a long narrative poem that tells a story central to the history and beliefs of a people example: John Gery’s Davenport’s Version (this will link to “from The Burning Of New Orleans”) |
| epigram | (ep’ – ih – gram) from the Greek for inscription a short, pithy poem that is generally satirical. It often has a pointed barb, and shows insight into human nature or an historical or current event |
| epistle | also called letter poem a poem written in the form of a letter. Often there is a salutation and closing, but not always. |
| epitaph | (ep’ – ih – taf) from the Greek for upon a tomb a short elegy or lament that commemorates a person or group of people who have died. Since they are often inscribed on tombs, they are brief. |
| epithalamion | (ep’ – ih –thuh – lame’ – ee – un) from the Greek for bridal chamber a type of occasional poem specifically for a wedding; an ode to a bride and groom |
| Fibonacci | (fee – buh – nahch’ – ee) an invented form (one that has not become traditional in its use, but which has its own formal arrangement as devised by its creator), the Fibonacci poem uses the Fibonacci sequence 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, etc to determine the number syllables in each line and/or the number of lines in each stanza as the poem progresses. |
| found poem | a poem “found” in a non-poetic setting. The words in the poem come from a non-poetic source such as a newspaper, an advertisement, a page from a text book. The poet arranges the poem by deleting words and/or rearranging the “found” words example: Pinkie Gordon Lane’s “Found Poems” |
| free verse | essentially means lines of poetry that are not measured with specific rhythms like iambs and rhyme schemes. Free verse does have rhythm and employs many musical elements such as alliteration and enjambment. verse libre example: Ralph Adamo’s “Memories of Eating” example: Maxine Cassin’s “The Ontology of the Semi-Colon” example: Valentine Pierce’s “Still Life” |
| ghazal |