NARRATIVE POETRY
a poem that tells a story; may be short or long, simple or complex
LYRIC POETRY
a poem expressing the emotions and thoughts of a single speaker (not necessarily the poet); takes many forms, including the dramatic monologue, elegy, haiku, ode, and sonnet. A traditional theme is carpe diem.
METAPHYSICAL POETRY
A style of 17th Century poetry first by John Dryden and later by Dr. Samuel Johnson because of the highly intellectual and often abstruse imagery involved. Such poems are not part of a thematic or even a structural school, although there are some common characteristics: argumentative structure , dramatic and colloquial mode of utterance, acute realism, and wit in the form of a parallel between apparently dissimilar things, often drawn from widely varied fields of knowledge
PASTORAL POETRY
poetry presenting the pleasures of rural life (often that of a shepherd) through idealism rather than realism; common topics include love and seduction; the value of poetry; death and mourning; the corruption of the city or court vs. the "purity" of idealized country life; politics (generally satirical)
DIDACTIC POETRY
poetry designed to teach an ethical, moral, or religious lesson
CONCRETE POETRY
poetry in which punctuation marks, letters, or words are arranged on a page to form a visual design (for ex: a cross or a bumblebee)
CONFESSIONAL POETRY
a form of poetry in which the poet reveals very personal, intimate, or sometimes shocking information about himself or herself
