
Poetry | Meaning, Examples, Definition, Types, Terms, & Facts - Britannica
Jan 2, 2026 · Poetry is complex and resists a simple definition. Generally speaking, however, poetry is a type of artistic literature that involves using language, sound, and rhythm to stir the reader’s or …
Poetry - Form, Rhyme, Meter | Britannica
Jan 2, 2026 · Poetry - Form, Rhyme, Meter: People’s reason for wanting a definition is to take care of the borderline case, and this is what a definition, as if by definition, will not do.
poetry - Kids | Britannica Kids | Homework Help
Poetry is a type of literature, or artistic writing, that attempts to stir a reader’s imagination or emotions. The poet does this by carefully choosing and arranging language for its meaning, sound, and rhythm.
Rhythm | Definition, Types & Examples | Britannica
Rhythm, by any definition, is essential to poetry; prose may be said to exhibit rhythm but in a much less highly organized sense. The presence of rhythmic patterns heightens emotional response and often …
American Poetry | Britannica
Nov 20, 2025 · American poetry is as diverse as the people of America, encompassing a variety of themes, styles, and forms. Some of the best-loved American poems are funny and whimsical, while …
poetry - Students | Britannica Kids | Homework Help
There are also terms to define specific kinds of poems—lyric, elegy, ode, epic, ballad, dramatic, narrative, and didactic. Not all poems have the regular rhythm and rhyming of Old Ironsides. Some …
Pattern poetry | Metrical, Structural & Rhyming | Britannica
In the 20th century, pattern poetry sometimes crossed paths with concrete poetry; a basic distinction between the two types of poetry is the ability of pattern poetry to hold its meaning apart from its …
Stanza | Poetry, Verse, Rhyme | Britannica
Poetry is complex and resists a simple definition. Generally speaking, however, poetry is a type of artistic literature that involves using language, sound, and rhythm to stir the reader’s or listener’s …
Foot | Rhythm, Meter, Poetry | Britannica
The function of regular metre in poetry is complex. In its most primitive aspects, as in nursery rhymes or folk ballads, it creates the physical pleasure that any simple rhythmic acts such as rocking, swaying, …
Metre | Definition, Types & Examples | Britannica
Metre, in poetry, the rhythmic pattern of a poetic line. Various principles, based on the natural rhythms of language, have been devised to organize poetic lines into rhythmic units.