Poetryis a type of literature in which the sound and meaning of language are combined to create ideas and feelings. Many people are first attracted to poetry by the sound and rhythm of a poem's words. For example, children delight in the pleasing rhymes and strong rhythms of nursery rhymes. Youngsters often clap their hands to such verses for the simple enjoyment of matching the rhythm of their bodies with the rhythm of the language.

Poetry began in prehistoric times. Early peoples used poetic language with accompanying music in songs, prayers, and magic spells. The patterns of rhyme and rhythm helped people remember and so preserve oral poetry from generation to generation. After the development of writing, poetry gradually became an important written art. Today, millions of people throughout the world continue to listen to or read poetry. Many people also write poetry.

Through the years, poets have developed many kinds of poetry. The three main kinds are (1) lyric, (2) narrative, and (3) dramatic.

Lyric poetry

Lyric poetry is by far the most common type of poetry. The word lyric comes from lyre, a harplike instrument played by ancient Greek poets during recitals of their shorter poems. Today, lyric poetry means any short poem.

The haiku, a Japanese form, is one of the shortest types of lyric poetry. In Japanese, the haiku consists of 17 syllables arranged in three lines. The first line has 5 syllables, the second 7, and the third 5.

Other lyric forms are longer and more complicated than the haiku. The ode is a serious, elaborate lyric full of high praise and noble feeling. Many odes mark important public events. The classical ode, also called the Pindaric ode or choral ode, was developed by the ancient Greeks. It consists of three parts. The first two parts, the strophe and antistrophe, have the same pattern of rhyme. The third part, the epode, has a different pattern. Most odes that were developed later consist of stanzas with the same pattern of rhythm and rhyme.

The elegy, another common lyric, is a meditation on life and death. Many elegies mourn the death of a famous person or a close friend. The sonnet is a 14-line lyric with a certain pattern of rhyme and rhythm. Many sonnets are love poems. Other lyric forms include the limerick, rondel, triolet, and villanelle.

Narrative poetry

Narrative poetry tells stories. There are two chief kinds of narrative poems: (1) epics and (2) ballads.

Epics are long poems. Most epics describe the deeds of heroes in battle or conflicts between human beings and natural and divine forces. Many other epics tell of the origin or history of a people. Epics are probably the oldest surviving form of poetry.

Dramatic poetry,

like narrative poetry, tells stories. But in dramatic poetry, the poet lets one or more of the story's characters act out the story. Many plays are written as dramatic poetry. The difference between drama and dramatic poetry is a matter of degree. If the dialogue of a play rhymes, has repeating rhythms, or features other distinct poetic elements, the play is considered to be dramatic poetry. In the dramatic monologue, the story is told in the words of only one character.