Types of Poetry

There are over 50 different types of poems. Poems are a collection of words
that use imagery and figures of speech to express an idea or emotion. Some poems
rhyme, but others do not. Before writing poems you need to understand some of
the things that make up the poems.

Rhyme A rhyme is a repetition of similar sounding words occurring at the end of

lines in poems or songs. A rhyme is a tool utilizing repeating patterns that brings
rhythm or musicality in poems which differentiate them from prose which is plain.
A rhyme is employed for the specific purpose of rendering a pleasing effect to a
poem which makes its recital an enjoyable experience. Rhyme has two uses in
poetry: 1. It gives poetry a typical symmetry that differentiates poetry from prose.
2. It makes recital of poetry a pleasurable experience for the readers as the
repetitive patterns renders musicality and rhythm to it
Poems written in English employ the following kinds of rhyme:

Perfect Rhyme
A perfect rhyme is a case in which two words rhyme in such a way that their
final stressed vowel and all following sounds are identical e.g. sight and
light, right and might, rose and dose etc.

General Rhyme
The term general rhyme refers to a variety of phonetic likeness between
[Link] and fiddle, cleaver and silver, patter and pitter etc. are
examples of syllabic rhyme i.e. words having a similar sounding last
syllable but without a stressed vowel
Wing and caring, sit and perfect, reflect and subject etc, are examples of imperfect
rhyme i.e. a rhyme between a stressed and an unstressed syllable.

 Assonance or Slant Rhyme exists in words having the same vowel

sound e.g. kill and bill, wall and hall, shake and hate etc.
Consonance exist in words having the same consonant sound e.g.
rabbit and robber, ship and sheep
Alliteration or Head Rhyme refers to matching initial consonant
sounds e.g. sea and seal, ship and short etc.

Eye Rhymes
Eye Rhymes, also called sight or spelling rhymes, refer to words having the
same spelling but different sounds. In such case, the final syllables have the
same spellings but are pronounced differently e.g. cough and bough, love
and move etc.

Types of Rhyme According to Position

Classification: Tail Rhyme
This is the most common type of rhyme. It occurs in the final syllable of a verse or
line.
Classification: Internal Rhyme
This is a type of rhyme in which a word at the end of a verse rhymes with another
word in the same line.
Classification: Holo-rhyme
This is a type of rhyme in which all the words of two entire lines rhyme.
Classification: Cross rhyme
This refers to matching sounds at the end of intervening lines.

Pentameter
Pentameter is a literary device that can be defined as a line in verse or poetry that
has five strong metrical feet or beats. There are different forms of pentameter:

iamb, trochaic, dactylic and anapestic. The most commonly used pentameter in
English is iambic. It also can be described as a line consists of ten syllables, where
the first syllable is stressed, the second is unstressed, the third is stressed and so on
until it reaches the 10th line syllable. For instance, Shall I com PARE thee TO a
SUM mers DAY?(Sonnet 18 by Shakespeare)Pentameter widely governs the
individual lines in poems, couplets and verses and provides a structural form to a
poem. It also determines the speaking style and rhythm. Pentameters also give
arrangement to words through the regular use of accents on the syllables, and helps
in emphasizing the specific words which a poet wishes to, which is the major
reason for variation in the text through stressed/unstressed patterns.

Prose
Prose is a form of language that has no formal metrical structure. It applies a
natural flow of speech, and ordinary grammatical structure rather than rhythmic
structure, such as in the case of traditional [Link] everyday speech is
spoken in prose and most people think and write in prose form. Prose comprises of
full grammatical sentences which consist of paragraphs and forgoes aesthetic
appeal in favor of clear, straightforward language. It can be said to be the most
reflective of conversational speech. Some works of prose do have versification and
a blend of the two formats that is called prose poetry.

Some Common Types of Prose

1. Nonfictional Prose: A literary work that is mainly based on fact although it may
contain fictional elements in certain cases. Examples are biographies and essays.

2. Fictional Prose: A literary work that is wholly or partly imagined or theoretical.

Examples are novels.
3. Heroic Prose: A literary work that may be written down or recited and employs
many of the formulaic expressions found in oral tradition. Examples are legends
and tales.
4. Prose Poetry: A literary work which exhibits poetic quality using emotional
effects and heightened imagery but are written in prose instead of verse.

Meter
Meter is a stressed and unstressed syllabic pattern in a verse or within the lines of a
poem. Stressed syllables tend to be longer and unstressed shorter. In simple
language, meter is a poetic device that serves as a linguistic sound pattern for the
verses, as it gives poetry a rhythmical and melodious sound. For instance, if you
read a poem loudly, and it produces regular sound patterns, then this poem would
be a metered or measured poem. The study of different types of versification and
meters is known as prosody.

Types of Meter
English poetry employs five basic meters including; iambic meter
(unstressed/stressed), trochaic meter (stressed/unstressed), spondaic meter,
(stressed/stressed) anapestic meter (unstressed/unstressed/ stressed) and dactylic
meter (stressed/unstressed/unstressed).
Meter has two subdivisions:

Qualitative Meter
It contains stressed syllables with regular intervals such as iambic pentameter
containing even numbered syllables.

Quantitative Meter
Quantitative meter, however, is based on syllabic weight, and not stressed patterns
such as dactylic hexameters of classical Greek and classical Latin, however,
classical Arabic and Sanskrit also have used this meter. Poets like Virgil used
quantitative meter in Aeneid and Homer in Iliad.
Examples of Meter from Literature
Example 1
If music be the food of love, play on;
Give me excess of it, that, surfeiting,
The appetite may sicken, and so die.
That strain again! it had a dying fall:
O, it came oer my ear like the sweet sound,
That breathes upon a bank of violets,
(Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare)
This is an example of iambic pentameter, which contains first unstressed syllable
and second stressed one. Shakespeare has played around on iambic pentameter a
lot to create different effects. Here you can see each line consists of accented and
unaccented syllables underlined.

Example 2
Shadows pointed towards the pithead:
In the sun the slagheap slept.
Down the lane came men in pitboots
Coughing oath-edged talk and pipe-smoke
Shouldering off the freshened silence.
(The Explosion by Philip Larkin)
This extract contains trochaic meter in which stressed syllables are pronounced
loudly. Larkin has written frequently trochaic (accented/ unaccented) tetrameter
with four trochees.
Example 3
Half a league, half a league,
Half a league onward,
All in the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
Forward, the Light Brigade!
Charge for the guns! he said.
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
(The Charge of the Light Brigade by Alfred Lord Tennyson)

This excerpt presents an example of dactylic meter that contains one accented
syllable followed by two unaccented syllables.
Example 4
Just the place for a Snark! the Bellman cried,
As he landed his crew with care;
Supporting each man on the top of the tide
By a finger entwined in his hair
There was also a Beaver, that paced on the deck,
Or would sit making lace in the bow:
(The Hunting of the Snark by Lewis Carroll)
Here you can see Carroll has used different types of anapestic meter, dimeter,
trimeter and tetrameter. This type of meter has two unaccented syllables and a third
accented syllable.
Example 5
Cry, cry! Troy burns, or else let Helen go.
(From Troilus and Cressida by William Shakespeare)
If I do prove her haggard,
Though that her jesses were my dear heart-strings,
(From Othello by William Shakespeare)

Spondaic meter has two accented syllables. You can easily identify this type of
meter because it contains both stressed syllables. In the first example, Cry, cry!
Troy burns, and in the second example, heart-strings is showing spondaic meter.

Function of Meter
Though meter is a poetic device, playwrights as well as prose writers often use it to
heighten the dramatic quality of the work, adding enchantment, mystery and
emotion to their language. If you look carefully, you will notice metrical feet are
not only suitable in poetry but also in plays to achieve dramatic purposes.
However, its basic function is to provide rhythm, uniformity and give a rounded
and well-formed structure to the poetic work. It makes the tone of a language more
lyrical. When a situation requires heightened language, the poets use meter for
artistic effects. Besides, a meter has importance and value to the readers, which
could, however, be lost if paraphrased or translated.

Verse
The literary device verse denotes a single line of poetry. The term can also be used
to refer to a stanza or other parts of [Link], the device is stated to
encompass three possible meanings, namely a line of metrical writing, a stanza, or,
a piece written in meter. It is important to note here that the term verse is often
incorrectly used for referring to poetry in order to differentiate it from prose.
There are generally two types of verse namely free verse and blank verse.

Free Verse
A free verse poem has no set meter; that is to say there is no rhyming scheme
present and the poem doesnt follow a set pattern. For some poets this

characteristic serves as a handy tool for the purpose camouflaging their fluctuation
of thoughts, whereas others think that it affects the quality of work being
presented.
Blank Verse
There is no rhyming effect present in a blank verse poem. However, it has an
iambic pentameter. It is usually employed for presenting passionate events and to
create an impact on the reader. Shakespeare was an ardent user of blank verse.

Functions of Verse
The use of the literary term verse in a piece of writing has a pleasing effect on
the readers mind. It is usually employed in poetry writing. The poets make use of
the tool of verse in order to provide their poetry with a structure. It serves as an
avenue through which writers project their ideas in the form of a composition
having rhyme, rhythm and deeper meanings. The device provides the writer with a
framework for poetry writing.

Couplet
A couplet is a literary device which can be defined as having two successive
rhyming lines in a verse and has the same meter to form a complete thought. It is
marked by a usual rhythm, rhyme scheme and incorporation of specific utterances.
It could an independent poem, and could be a part of other poems such as sonnets
in Shakespearean poetry. If a couplet has the ability to stand apart from the rest of
the poem, it is independent and hence it is called a closed couplet. A couplet which
cannot render a proper meaning alone is called an open [Link] rhyming

couplets are usually used in poetry in order to make a poem interesting and
rhythmic. They help create a rhyming effect in a poem.
In literature, Chaucer, Dryden, Pope and Shakespeare have been famous for using
rhyming heroic couplets. In Arabic and Chinese literature, rhyming couplets have
also been used extensively.

Types of Couplets
Here are a few types of couplets:

Short Couplet
Split Couplet
Heroic Couplet (Closed and Open Couplets)
Shakespearean Couplet
Alexandrine Couplet
Qasida
Chinese Couplet

Types of Poems

Limerick
A Limerick is a rhymed humorous or nonsense poem of five lines which originated
in Limerick, Ireland. The Limerick has a set rhyme scheme of : a-a-b-b-a with a
syllable structure of: 9-9-6-6-9. The rhythm of the poem should go as follows:
Lines 1, 2, 5: weak, weak, STRONG, weak, weak, STRONG, weak, weak,
STRONG, weak, weak Lines 3, 4: weak, weak, STRONG, weak, weak, STRONG,
weak, weak This is the most commonly heard first line of a limerick: "There once
was a man from Nantucket."
Example #1:
The Test Pilot
A Plane builder needed a pilot,
So Bob told the guy, he would try it.
When Bob took to the air,
Plane parts fell everywhere.
Bob radioed where shall I pile it?
Copyright 2005 Jim Dupy
Example #2:
The Man From Aruba
There once was a man from Aruba,
Whose favorite hobby was scuba.

Every day he would wish,

He could spear a big fish.
But settled instead for canned tuna.
Copyright 2005 Jim Dupy

Acrostic Poetry
Acrostic Poetry is where the first letter of each line spells a word,
usually using the same words as in the title.
Example #1:
Heartbreaking
He broke my heart
Every piece, shattered
All I wanted was his love
Real, as he promised
True, as mine for him
But he walked away
Right in the middle of paradise
Every beat of my heart
Aches for his love
Keeping the flame aglow
I will wait by the light
Never losing the hope

God will send him back to me

Copyright 2000 Jody Kuperavage

Example #2:
The Outlaw Torn
Torn from normal existence
Hunting for the one who is responsible
Embarking on his quest every morning
Only to come home empty handed
Under no circumstances will he quit
Truth is what he is seeking
Looking for the answers he may never find
Answers he may not want to hear
Wandering through life with one purpose
To find his saboteur
Only he can not understand
Realization of one thing is coming clear
No one is to blame other than himself
Copyright 2000 Paul Sansone
Example #3:
Shadow Poetry (Double Acrostic)
Summers gifts of sensational feelings,
Heaping happiness in poets path

Awarding praises for poetic data

Doses of episodes, where lived
Original thoughts; orgasmic tempo
Weavers of words; mornings dew
Prosing spewing from every lip
Operetta unions, written in solo
Energy of many, sharing love
Tears touching every heart
Rivalry forgotten, visions clear
You and I spreading peace and joy
Copyright 2001 Amias

Ballad
A short narrative poem with stanzas of two or four lines and usually a refrain. The
story of a ballad can originate from a wide range of subject matter but most
frequently deals with folk-lore or popular legends. They are written in straightforward verse, seldom with detail, but always with graphic simplicity and force.
Most ballads are suitable for singing and, while sometimes varied in practice, are
generally written in ballad meter, i.e., alternating lines of iambic tetrameter and
iambic trimeter, with the last words of the second and fourth lines rhyming.

Haiku
Below is the most popular definition, but there is more to haiku than meets the eye:

Haiku (also called nature or seasonal haiku) is an unrhymed Japanese verse

consisting of three unrhymed lines of five, seven, and five syllables (5, 7, 5) or 17
syllables in all. Haiku is usually written in the present tense and focuses on nature
(seasons).
The 5/7/5 rule was made up for school children to understand and learn this type of
poetry. For an in depth description of Haiku, please visit the Shadow Poetry Haiku,
Senryu, and Tanka section. There is much more to haiku than the made up 5/7/5
version.
Example #1:
Pink cherry blossoms
Cast shimmering reflections
On seas of Japan
Copyright Andrea
Example #2:
salt-waves caress sand
tickling my toes and heart
in their short-spun wake
Copyright 2002 Diana
Example #3:
warm soup in a bowl
letters of the alphabet
hang on the teaspoon

Copyright 2002 Gail Goto

Ode
An Ode is a poem praising and glorifying a person, place or thing.

Sonnet
A Sonnet is a poem consisting of 14 lines (iambic pentameter) with a particular
rhyming scheme:
Examples of a rhyming scheme:
#1) abab cdcd efef gg
#2) abba cddc effe gg
#3) abba abba cdcd cd
A Shakespearean (English) sonnet has three quatrains and a couplet, and rhymes
abab cdcd efef gg.
An Italian sonnet is composed of an octave, rhyming abbaabba, and a sestet,
rhyming cdecde or cdcdcd, or in some variant pattern, but with no closing couplet.
Usually, English and Italian Sonnets have 10 syllables per line, but Italian Sonnets
can also have 11 syllables per line.
French sonnets follow in this same pattern, but normally have 12 syllables per line.

Tongue Twister Poetry

A Tongue Twister poem is made up of lines/verses that are hard to say when read
aloud by using similar consonant sounds in succession (use of alliteration). In other
words, the poem ties your tongue into knots. This form does not require end or
internal rhyme.

Free Verse
Free Verse is an irregular form of poetry in which the content free of traditional
rules of versification, (freedom from fixed meter or rhyme).
In moving from line to line, the poet's main consideration is where to insert line
breaks. Some ways of doing this include breaking the line where there is a natural
pause or at a point of suspense for the reader.
Following the direction of Walt Whitman, Ezra Pound and [Link], many modern
day poets use this particular form of expression.

Figures of Speech
A figure of speech is a word or phrase that has a meaning something different than
its literal meaning. It can be a metaphor or simile that is designed to further explain
a concept. Or, it can be a different way of pronouncing a word or phrase such as
with alliteration to give further meaning or a different sound.

Examples of Figures of Speech

Using Alliteration
Alliteration is the repetition of beginning sounds. Examples are:
Sally sells seashells.
Walter wondered where Winnie was.

 Blue baby bonnets

Nick needed notebooks.
Fred fried frogs.

Using Anaphora
Anaphora is a technique where several phrases or verses begin with the same
word or words. Examples are:
I came, I saw, I conquered - Julius Caesar
Mad world! Mad kings! Mad composition! King John - William
Shakespeare
We laughed, we loved, we sang
With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in
the right, - Abraham Lincoln
We shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end. - Winston
Churchill

Using Assonance
Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in words that are close together.
Examples are:
A - For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels named
Lenore (Poe)
E - Therefore all seasons shall be sweet to thee (Coleridge)
I - From what Ive tasted of desire, I hold with those who favor
fire (Frost)
O - Or hear old Triton blow his wreathed horn (Wordsworth)
U - Uncertain rustling of each purple curtain (Poe)

Using a Euphemism

Euphemism is a word or phrase that replaces a word or phrase to make it

more polite or pleasant. Examples are:

A little thin on top instead of bald

Homeless instead of bum
Letting him go instead of fired him
Passed away instead of died
Put to sleep instead of euthanize

Using Hyperbole
Hyperbole uses exaggeration for emphasis or effect. Examples are:

Ive told you a hundred times

It cost a billion dollars
I could do this forever
She is older than dirt
Everybody knows that

Using Irony
Irony is using words where the meaning is the opposite of their usual meaning.
Examples are:
After begging for a cat and finally getting one, she found out she
was allergic.
A traffic cop gets suspended for not paying his parking tickets.
The Titanic was said to be unsinkable.
Dramatic irony is knowing the killer is hiding in a closet in a scary
movie.
Naming a Chihuahua Brutus

Using Metaphor
Metaphor compares two unlike things or ideas. Examples are:

Heart of stone
Time is money
The world is a stage
She is a night owl
He is an ogre

Using Onomatopoeia
Onomatopoeia is a word that sounds like what it is describing. Examples are:

Whoosh
Splat
Buzz
Click
Oink

Using Oxymoron
Oxymoron is two contradictory terms used together. Examples are:

Peace force
Kosher ham
Jumbo shrimp
Small crowd
Free market

Using Personification
Personification is giving human qualities to non-living things or ideas.
Examples are:

The flowers nodded

Snowflakes danced
Thunder grumbled
Fog crept in
The wind howled

Using Simile
Simile is a comparison between two unlike things using the words "like" or
"as." Examples are:

As slippery as an eel
Like peas in a pod
As blind as a bat
Eats like a pig
As wise as an owl

Using Synecdoche
Synecdoche is when a part represents the whole or the whole is represented by
a part. Examples are:

Wheels - a car
The police - one policeman
Plastic - credit cards
Coke - any cola drink
Army - a soldier

Using Understatement
Understatement is when something is said to make something appear less
important or less serious. Examples are:
It's just a scratch - referring to a large dent
It is sometimes dry and sandy - referring to the driest desert in the
world
The weather is a little cooler today - referring to sub-zero
temperatures
I wont say it was delicious - referring to terrible food
The tsunami caused some damage - referring to a huge tsunami

Identify the figure of speech used in each sentence below.

1. He has a heart of gold.
2. Dales smile was as bright as the sun shine.
3. Life is a journey; travel it well
4. A wicked whisper came and changed my life.
5. Men's words are bullets that their enemies take up and make use of against
them.
6. He roared with the force of a thousand lions.
7. The theater is his home.

8. There had been no rain for months and all the crops were death. Some parts of
the farm were beginning to look like a desert.
9. After a good night sleep, I felt like a million dollars.
10. Everyone wanted Ken on the swim team because he could swim like a fish.

Directions: Read the idioms below and write their literal

meanings on the lines provided.
Example A easy as pie something that is really easy to complete
1 . Break a leg
_______________________________________________________
2. Its raining like cats and dogs
_________________________________________
3. Dont be a back seat driver __________________________________________
4. Dont be in the dumps ______________________________________________
5. He is like a bull in a China shop.
_______________________________________

6. That boy is in the dog house.

_________________________________________
7. That athlete is as fit as a fiddle _______________________________________
8. Dont cry over spilled milk___________________________________________
9. My friend is a pain in the neck ____________________
10. Jump the gun
_______________________________________________________________
11. It was a snap
________________________________________________________________
12. Two-faced
_________________________________________________________________
13. Zip your lip
________________________________________________________________
14. Tight fisted
_________________________________________________________________
15. Take it easy
________________________________________________________________

16. Pull an all nighter

____________________________________________________________
17. Over one's head
_____________________________________________________________

Directions: For each simile given below, write what you

think it means.
Example A As wise as an owl someone who has a lot of experience and
intelligence.
1. Smart as a fox
__________________________________________________________________
2. Quick as a cat
__________________________________________________________________
3. Tough as nails
__________________________________________________________________
4. Hard like a rock
__________________________________________________________________
5. Tough as a tiger
__________________________________________________________________
6. His mind is as sharp as a samurai's sword
__________________________________________________________________
7. She walks as gracefully and elegantly as a cat
__________________________________________________________________
8. Cry like a baby
__________________________________________________________________

9. Hit like a girl

__________________________________________________________________
10. Run like the wind
_____________________________________________________

Poems
Ode to the Ghost Dancers
Lakota, Arapaho
Cheyenne, Oglala
Minneconjou
Where are they now?
Why is there so much dust
Over a fillet of memory?
The smoke fires are dead
And the discords of our life
We write as history.
It is significant still
The shallow content
In which we drown for glory
It is I
Remnant of a forgotten tear
That must tell
The similitude of a coordinated hell.
Despair is a state of mind

A featherlessness
Of warriors wings ... a moan
Leaking from a drum
On deserted prairie afternoon
I watched the ghost dancers
Cried with their feet,
And never saw a thing more desolate.
These men freed from the bondage of their souls
Came slow circle
Through the trance of disbelief
Lingered in the music of drums
Retired from the melody of their hearts
O how they danced
The ghost dancers deserted by their magic
They danced
For the return of the buffaloes
They danced
Invoking the prairie grass to gallop
From the horses feet
Bowing only to the mastery of the wind
Like fodder bows to fire and change
And the black cloud stood stagnant
Lethargic in the emptiness
For from the black breast came
No white milk to put out the fire of shame
Before the women and children vacant eyes

They danced for the land

That had aborted their dreams
And corralled them
In the tragedy at wounded knee
I don't care how we limp from it
Regrets are only the arthritis of desire
The buzzards roof the certainty of the eye
The heat is white here like a bone
Beneath the grinching grass
The hoof beat dies
And the ghost dancers caper
In an agony beyond reconciliation.
Copyright 2016 L'nass Shango

The Ultimate Gift - Lakota Nation

The black mesa yield
of goodness, peacefulness
and gifts of knowledge abound
with a building rhythm upon stretched elk hide
the ominous drum beat plays loud
a ceremony had begun
as the sun set calm westward
incessant whispers call the young native

the tribes medicine man sets the gift of spirit into motion
a vision quest "crying for a dream" profound
a dream of purification
a dream of spiritual awakening
the spirit song rolls loud
For four days and four nights
the young native will thirst and starve
as the spirit cries for a vision
his trek, he walks alone
by his side the great spirit Wakan Tanka
Take notice, the spirit calls
as visions shower from above
visions of healing enter
a gift of guidance is received
The great spirit instructs the young native
"you are of the few"
join Petaga Yuha Mani in the sweat lodge now
he has sacred words for you
sage burns silent
the sacred pipe pole sits at center circle
from the elders a voice is heard
"The path to adulthood has come"
and you, as the chosen one
have been given the ultimate gift of the tribes spotted eagle medicine man
sacred drums begin
the sacred pipe pole is smoked
the Lakota Sioux Nation rejoice

prayer fill the land

a feast begins
and gift are exchanged
with arms raised in a "V"
He thanks the great spirit
a healer and instructor is born.......
____________________________________
Lakota Nation Of South Dakota
(I have read in years past that in extreme cases the youth seeking a vision quest,
has returned with a gift of seeing more than the medicine man who sent him.) A
message in itself quite profound. (Selah)Some of us are messengers giving gifts
to others so that they may climb higher to reach others more effectively.
A simple word, insight or even a smile. (Knowledge and Wisdom through Love.)
Copyright 2016 Rick Parise

Counter Culture
Today's closing hangs lower than it did yesterday,
trying to mess with tomorrow's dreams.
Sitting here, dressed in a wry smile, my heart

whispers to a sky, tie-dyed with the jewel

of Navaho stone and the salmon pinks
of Tsimshian legend.
I feed myself with steam from Irish tea,
invoking the memory of my first Lakota sweat lodge,
and take comfort tracking what's left of tonight in Indian time;
tomorrow will have to wait 'til I get there.
This now is meant for savoring the scent,
sounds, and sights of Mother Earth
as she gets ready to tamp down the fire
of a troubled day, leaving my peace
under the watchful eyes of a Harvest Moon.
Copyright 2016 maggie flanaganwilkie

Nothing Gold Can Stay

Nature's first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf's a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf,
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day
Nothing gold can stay.

The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim
Because it was grassy and wanted wear,
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,

I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
Robert Frost

"How do I love thee? Let me count the ways..."

by Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806-1861)
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.
I love thee to the level of everyday's
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.
I love thee with a passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints, --- I love thee with the breath,

Smiles, tears, of all my life! --- and, if God choose,

I shall but love thee better after death.

Evening Star
'Twas noontide of summer,
And mid-time of night;
And stars, in their orbits,
Shone pale, thro' the light
Of the brighter, cold moon,
'Mid planets her slaves,
Herself in the Heavens,
Her beam on the waves.
I gazed awhile
On her cold smile;
Too cold- too cold for meThere pass'd, as a shroud,
A fleecy cloud,

And I turned away to thee,

Proud Evening Star,
In thy glory afar,
And dearer thy beam shall be;
For joy to my heart
Is the proud part
Thou bearest in Heaven at night,
And more I admire
Thy distant fire,
Than that colder, lowly light.
Edgar Allan Poe

From a Railway Carriage

Faster than fairies, faster than witches,
Bridges and houses, hedges and ditches;
And charging along like troops in a battle
All through the meadows the horses and cattle:
All of the sights of the hill and the plain
Fly as thick as driving rain;

And ever again, in the wink of an eye,

Painted stations whistle by.
Here is a child who clambers and scrambles,
All by himself and gathering brambles;
Here is a tramp who stands and gazes;
And here is the green for stringing the daisies!
Here is a cart runaway in the road
Lumping along with man and load;
And here is a mill, and there is a river:
Each a glimpse and gone forever!
Robert Louis Stevenson

Limerick: There was a Young Lady of Ryde

by Edward Lear
There was a Young Lady of Ryde,
Whose shoe-strings were seldom untied.
She purchased some clogs,
And some small spotted dogs,
And frequently walked about Ryde.

Limerick: There was an Old Man with a Flute

by Edward Lear
There was an Old Man with a flute,
A serpent ran into his boot;
But he played day and night,
Till the serpent took flight,
And avoided that man with a flute.

Daddy Limerick
by Leanne Guenther
There once was a very sad daddy,
Whose golf game was going quite badly.
He looked left and right -No ball was in sight.
I think that he needed a caddy!

Limerick: There was an Old Man with a Beard

by Edward Lear
There was an Old Man with a beard,
Who said, "It is just as I feared! -Two Owls and a Hen,
Four Larks and a Wren,
Have all built their nests in my beard.

A Red Red Rose

O my Luve's like a red, red rose
That's newly sprung in June;
O my Luve's like the melodie
That's sweetly play'd in tune.
As fair art thou, my bonnie lass,
So deep in luve am I:
And I will luve thee still, my dear,
Till a' the seas gang dry:

Till a' the seas gang dry, my dear,

And the rocks melt wi' the sun:
I will luve thee still, my dear,
While the sands o' life shall run.
And fare thee well, my only Luve
And fare thee well, a while!
And I will come again, my Luve,
Tho' it were ten thousand mile.
Robert Burns

CURLY-LOCKS
Curly-locks, Curly-locks, wilt thou be mine?
Thou shalt not wash the dishes, nor yet feed the swine;
But sit on a cushion, and sew a fine seam,
And feed upon strawberries, sugar, and cream.

OLD MOTHER HUBBARD

Old Mother Hubbard;

Went to the cupboard,
To give her poor dog a bone;
But when she got there
The cupboard was bare,
And so the poor dog had none.

She went to the baker's

To buy him some bread;
When she came back
The dog was dead.

She went to the undertaker's

To buy him a coffin;
When she got back
The dog was laughing.

She took a clean dish

To get him some tripe;

When she came back

He was smoking a pipe.

She went to the alehouse

To get him some beer;
When she came back
The dog sat in a chair.

She went to the tavern

For white wine and red;
When she came back
The dog stood on his head.

She went to the hatter's

To buy him a hat;
When she came back
He was feeding the cat.

She went to the barber's

To buy him a wig;

When she came back
He was dancing a jig.

She went to the fruiterer's

To buy him some fruit;
When she came back
He was playing the flute.

She went to the tailor's

To buy him a coat;
When she came back
He was riding a goat.

She went to the cobbler's

To buy him some shoes;
When she came back
He was reading the news.

She went to the sempster's

To buy him some linen;
When she came back
The dog was a-spinning.

She went to the hosier's

To buy him some hose;
When she came back
He was dressed in his clothes.

The dame made a curtsy,

The dog made a bow;
The dame said, "Your servant,"
The dog said, "Bow-wow."

JACK SPRAT
Jack Sprat
Could eat no fat,
His wife could eat no lean;
And so,

Betwixt them both,

They licked the platter clean.

THE LION AND THE UNICORN

The Lion and the Unicorn were fighting for the crown,
The Lion beat the Unicorn all around the town.
Some gave them white bread, and some gave them brown,
Some gave them plum-cake, and sent them out of town.

The Owl and the Pussy-Cat

BY EDWARD LEAR
I
The Owl and the Pussy-cat went to sea
In a beautiful pea-green boat,
They took some honey, and plenty of money,
Wrapped up in a five-pound note.
The Owl looked up to the stars above,

And sang to a small guitar,

"O lovely Pussy! O Pussy, my love,
What a beautiful Pussy you are,
You are,
You are!
What a beautiful Pussy you are!"
II
Pussy said to the Owl, "You elegant fowl!
How charmingly sweet you sing!
O let us be married! too long we have tarried:
But what shall we do for a ring?"
They sailed away, for a year and a day,
To the land where the Bong-Tree grows
And there in a wood a Piggy-wig stood
With a ring at the end of his nose,
His nose,
His nose,
With a ring at the end of his nose.
III

"Dear Pig, are you willing to sell for one shilling

Your ring?" Said the Piggy, "I will."
So they took it away, and were married next day
By the Turkey who lives on the hill.
They dined on mince, and slices of quince,
Which they ate with a runcible spoon;
And hand in hand, on the edge of the sand,
They danced by the light of the moon,
The moon,
The moon,
They danced by the light of the moon.

A Flea a Fly and a Flue

A flea and a fly in a flue
Said the fly "Oh what should we do"
Said the flea" Let us fly
Said the fly "Let us flee"
So they flew through a flaw in the flue

Night Light

You've no need to light a night-light

On a light night like tonight,
For a night-light's light's a slight light,
And tonight's a night that's light.
When a night's light, like tonight's light,
It is really not quite right
To light night-lights with their slight lights
On a light night like tonight.