Poetic Formats

Some people think poetic formats are a burden and they feel free verse will let them be more spontaneous.

I don't see formats as a burden at all. I see them as a hat rack. You know, those wooden things that stand in hallways and you hang your hats on them.

Free verse is like throwing all your hats into the center of the floor. A poetic format is like a nice hat rack where you can hang each line and organize your thoughts. Our minds are organized in a 'fill in the blanks' kind of way. Much like a computer looking for just the right five letter word, our brain likes having a structure to play around on.

Or you could think of it as a jungle gym. A flat park with grass is nice (free verse), but it's a lot more fun to head for the monkey bars and go here and there and climb this and swing on that. It is satisfying to get all the blanks filled in and see the poem come to life in an artful fashion.

So don't be afraid of formats. It's not meant to be a punishment imposed on you by your fifth grade teacher.

Here is a website with some formats for you to try. It is written for children, but all these formats have stood the test of time, so don't let that stop you.

http://www.kathimitchell.com/poemtypes.html

Most people are familiar with this format. The classic way is 3 lines each with 5, 7, then 5 syllables, and most often has a nature theme. This isn't a hard and fast rule though.

Chronos

Oh winged hourglass

Flying fast toward the grave

There is no escape