Do you know your child can write a poem despite not knowing how to rhyme? There are various types of poetry that kids can also attempt to write. And if you want them to read a lot of poems to enhance their creativity, there are types of poems that are easy to remember for kids.

You can start with short English poems, gradually moving towards the advanced art form. Let’s have a look at 9 types of poetry suitable for kids.

9 Types of Poetry for Your Kids

From the vast see of poetic structures, these 9 types of poems are chosen, which your kids will find easy and interesting to recite. Check them out!

1. Nursery Rhymes

The rhymes involve keeping words with similar sounds in the end. Nursery rhymes are the most popular form of short English poems globally. These poems are sung for small children. It consists of easy words and simple rhyming. Hopefully, you remember singing “Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall” in your childhood.

2. Limericks

Limericks are extremely funny types of poems, sometimes to the extent of being offensive! They were made well-known in the 19th century by the efforts of Edward Lear. Limericks run on the rhyme scheme of AABBA. That means line numbers 1, 2, and 5 are longer than lines 3 and 4.

3. Haiku

This form of poetry originated in Japan. These poems don’t necessarily rhyme. Haiku is famous in many countries of the world with its 3 liners small size format. The only rule to follow while writing a Haiku is to use 5 syllables in the first and third line and 7 syllables in the second line.

4. Acrostic

Acrostic form can be used to write interesting short English poems. It also follows the 3 line format like Haiku. In acrostic poems, you spell a message, name, or phrase with the first word of each line. Acrostic poems will stimulate thinking skills along with the creativity of your kids.

5. Concrete 

Concrete is sometimes also termed visual poetry or shape poetry. This is because the typographical element is more important than verbal significance in this type of poetry. The concrete form of poetry is thousands of years old, but it gets reinvented in every era.

6. Alliteration and Onomatopoeia

Onomatopoeia poem uses onomatopoeia words. These words imitate the sound they describe, for example, animal voices like woof and meow. Alliteration poems use the alliteration method of rhyme. It includes using the same sound to start 2 or more words in a row, like money matters and picture-perfect.

7. Free Verse

As the name suggests, free verse allows the poet to write freely without worrying about rhyming or any other rule. It may begin with a structure, but the poet is not obligated to maintain it throughout the poem. Contemporary poets love to recite free verses because of the creative freedom it provides.

8. Sonnet

Sonnets are 14 liner poetry dedicated to love. Shakespeare himself invented sonnets in the 13th century in Italy. It means a little song in the Italian language. Sonnet follows ABAB, CDCD, EFEF GG rhyming scheme, but poets are known to take some liberties with this in modern times.

9.

Ballad

Ballad is also amongst the old and traditional types of poems. Their origin is known to be in Europe in the late middle ages. These verses are recited to express a dramatic and emotional story. Ballads are 4 liner poetry with ABAB or ABCB rhyming schemes. Maximum modern pop songs you hear fondly today are loosely based on the ballad.

Final Words!

It will be a good idea to introduce your kids to every type of poetry. In this way, they can choose their favourite types of poems. At the same time, they will be aware about the arts and culture. Also, encourage them to write short English poems without the fear of going wrong. Being creative helps a child develop thinking and problem-solving skills.

Author Bio:

Samidha Raj works as part of the content marketing team at Planet Spark, a platform that provides online classes to K8 learners on “New Age Skills” like, English Communication, Public Speaking, Grammar, Creative Writing, Debating, etc. She is passionate about empowering the youth by educating parents about the importance of 21st-century skills. In her free time, you can find her watching documentaries or animated movies and organizing game nights (board games are her thing)!