Writing


Poetry

 Haiku Poetry
A haiku consists of 3 lines. Each line is assigned a certain number of syllables. For the first line one must use only 5 syllables, while on the second line one must use exactly 7 syllables. On the third line one has to use 5 syllables. It does not have to rhyme

An example of a haiku poem is:
(5)the first cold shower
(7)even a monkey seems to want
(5)a little coat of straw

(poem written by the famous japanese poet Basho)


Limericks
A limerick is a funny poem that is made up of 5 lines. The words that end the limerick's first, second, and fifth lines have to rhyme with each other. Similarly the words that end the third and forth lines must also rhyme.
Limericks also use a specific rhythm pattern. The first, second, and 5th lines sound like ba BUM ba ba BUM ba ba BUM.
The third and fourth lines have a rhythm pattern that sounds like ba BUM ba ba BUM.

A very well know example of a limerick poem is:
(A)There once was a man from Peru
(A)Who dreamed he was eating his shoe
(B)He awoke in the night
(B)With a terrible fright
(A)And found out that it was quite true.


Free Verse Poetry
Free verse poetry is perhaps the most popular kind of poetry today. It is bound by very few rules and generally can be written by most people. To begin writing free verse poetry one must have a good inspiration, something that motivates one to write the poem. What inspires one to write a free verse poem can be anything, from love or nature, to a day spent on the beach or one's homework assignment. What is important about the inspiration is not that you look at the facts of whatever it is, but that you write about how you feel about the inspiration.

Despite common belief free verse poetry does have some structure. The way the poem is spaced out can help emphasize some words and make it easier to find a natural rhythm or flow. Without good spacing and a good flow a free verse poem just becomes a quick burst of words that mean practically nothing. Another thing to keep in mind is that while free verse poetry does not have to rhyme or follow any sort of set rhythm pattern using these or other elements of poetry (repetition for example) at certain points in a poem may help better convey the meaning behind the words.

Next you should decide on the general mood of your poem, is it a sad poem, a happy poem, or niether? Deciding on the tone of the poem will help you better choose words that get your meaning across, for example instead of saying something like "The wind blew through the trees" in a sad or angry poem you could say "A powerful gust of wind went through, tormenting the trees".

Remember to use various metaphors, similes, very descriptive adjectives, and good verbs throughout your poetry, but don't over do it.

Some examples of free verse poetry can be found in the Original Work section of the site.

Brain Teasers: Whats a story without a few mind-benders along the way?

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