Types of Poetry

There are basically three types of poetry; i.e. Lyrical Poetry, Epic Poetry and Dramatic Poetry. There is also a special type known as a Ballad.

Lyrical Poetry

"Lyric", derives from the word "lyre" which is a type of stringed instrument. It therefore refers to music. Lyrical Poetry used to be sung. (That is why the words of songs are often referred to as the "lyrics" of the song.) A lyric tends to be relatively short and often convey the feelings and thoughts of a single speaker.

Most of the poems we will discuss in this course falls within the category of lyrical poetry.

Epic / Narrative Poetry

An epic is a type of story. Epic Poetry, also known as Narrative Poetry, are basically "storytelling poems". They tend to be very long, often several hundred lines, and are usually divided into several sections.

In this course we will not be dicussing any epics.

Dramatic Poetry

Dramatic Poetry is poetry that includes drama, i.e. it is theatrical. This means that it can be performed like a play. Sometimes there are many "characters" that are in dialogue. If only one "character" is speaking, it is called a monologue.

Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven" is considered a dramatic poem. Can you explain why?

A Ballad

A ballad is a special type of lyric, that tells a story. A ballad is therefore a mixture of lyrical and epic poetry.

Would you say that Edgar Allan Poe's "Eldorado" is a lyric or ballad?