A-to-Z Poetry Glossary: Part II

National Poetry Month, celebrated annually in April, is a time to show appreciation for the craft of poetry. We've already looked at poetry forms for letters A through M. Now, check out these poetry forms for letters N through Z, grab a pen and paper, and start writing!

Nonet: A nine line poem in which the first line has nine syllables, the next line eight, and so on until the ninth line is only one syllable.

Ottava Rima: A poetic form consisting of eight iambic lines, usually iambic pentameter. The ottava rima form follows the rhyme scheme a-b-a-b-a-b-c-c.

Parody: We're probably all familiar with parodies. A parody mocks or mimics the style of another work. An example would be the work of Weird Al Yankovic. Try picking a famous poem and writing your own parody, mocking either the topic, style, or form!

Quinquain: Also called a cinquain, a quinquain is a stanza made up of five lines. Though not necessarily a standard, many quinquains follow the rhyme scheme ababb. Try writing a poem of five lines following the ababb rhyme scheme; then try writing a poem with several stanzas following the quinquain form.

Roundelay: A seven line poem with a refrain in the first, third and seventh line and a rhyme scheme AbAabbA, where "A" is the refrain and "a" rhymes with "A". "A" is typically four syllables, while "b" and "a" are typically eight.

Sick Verse: Just as its name suggests, a "sick" verse is a poem dealing with dark themes, such as death or dying, and dark- or black-humor. An example is "The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe.

Threnody: Threnody sounds pretty cool, but it's actually sort of sad. A threnody is a dirge, or song of lament or mourning. That's two sad poetic forms in a row; a threnody, however, is "sadder" than a sick verse, in that there is less room for an ironic, sardonic, or humorous approach to a dark theme or topic.

Ubi Sunt: A form of poetry in which the poem begins with the words "where are", from the Latin phrase which translates, "Where are those who were before us?" This poetic form draws upon images of nostalgia, the past, remembrances, etc. The song "Where Have All The Flowers Gone?" is a variation on this form.

Vers de Société: A French phrase meaning "society verse", this poetic form consists of witty poetry intended for sophisticated audiences where even trivial themes are given thoughtful-or mock-thoughtful-consideration. A good example is Frederick Locker-Lampson's "Our Photographs," a humorous verse concerning the poet's scorn over his lover choosing someone else.

War Poetry: Poems concerning, or written during, war. The term was made popular in regards to poets who wrote about World War I, during World War I. War poems often deal with the voice of a soldier in war, or themes concerning the pain of war, rather than glorifying or praising battle. Some poets and poetic commentators have argued that War Poetry ceased to exist after Vietnam; however, the form has resurged, in a way, due to the current war in Iraq.

Xinshi: a Chinese phrase for new poetry, meaning poetry developed in the 20th Century. Xinshi suggests poetry falling into the category of vers libre, or verse that defies classical standard forms. A major contributor to the form was Liang Qichao, whose "poetry revolution" called for new discoveries in the poetic geography; rather than continuing to travel the old territories of familiar forms, Liang sought out new ideas and forms through experimentation. Xinshi is less a form of poetry than a type; to create Xinshi poetry, a poet simply attempts to defy traditional forms.

Yuëh-Fu: A traditional Chinese poetic form composed in folk-song style. In the Chinese, a five-character line was typical; for English, a five-word line is the standard. The main convention of the form is a dramatic monologue or dialogue concerning some misfortune. Line length and meter may vary.

Zeugma: A zeugma uses a verb to apply to two objects, or an adjective to two nouns. In a zeugma, the verb or adjective typically applies to one of the two objects in a logical manner, but not the other. An example would be "her smiling mouth and heart," where a mouth typically smiles, but a heart does not. Try composing a poem made up entirely of zeugmas, or use a zeugma as the major image in your poem!