Because Language Is Power — and Poetry Is Its Most Beautiful Form
Every poet begins with a blank page — but what fills that page is shaped by more than emotion alone. The language of poetry has its own rhythm, its own architecture, and its own ancient vocabulary.
At Poets & Peace, we believe poetry is a language of transformation — a bridge between inner stillness and outer change. Whether you’re writing about love, identity, resistance, or the longing for peace in a fractured world, these 25 terms will help you understand how poetry works so that your words can work more powerfully.
Think of this list as your poetic toolkit — not a set of rules, but a map for deeper exploration. Use it to craft poems that whisper, scream, question, and soothe.
1. Metaphor
A direct comparison between two unlike things.
Example: “Time is a thief.”
2. Simile
A comparison using “like” or “as.”
Example: “Her eyes shone like stars.”
3. Alliteration
The repetition of initial consonant sounds.
Example: “Whispering winds wandered wildly.”
4. Imagery
Descriptive language that appeals to the senses — sight, sound, taste, touch, and smell.
5. Enjambment
When a line of poetry runs over into the next line without punctuation.
It creates movement, suspense, or surprise.
6. Persona
The voice or character speaking in the poem — not always the poet!
7. Stanza
A group of lines in a poem, like a paragraph in prose.
8. Refrain
A repeated line or phrase, often at the end of stanzas (common in song-like poetry).
9. Rhyme Scheme
The pattern of end rhymes in a poem.
Example: ABAB, AABB, etc.
10. Free Verse
Poetry without a regular rhyme or meter.
It flows like natural speech.
11. Couplet
Two consecutive rhymed lines.
Example: “The time is out of joint, O cursed spite / That ever I was born to set it right.”
12. Sonnet
A 14-line poem with a specific structure (Shakespearean or Petrarchan), often about love or deep reflection.
13. Irony
Saying one thing but meaning another — often to create surprise or highlight contradiction.
14. Symbolism
When an object, color, or image represents a deeper idea or theme.
Example: A dove = peace.
15. Anaphora
The repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of multiple lines.
Used for rhythm and emphasis.
16. Onomatopoeia
Words that imitate sounds.
Examples: buzz, bang, whisper.
17. Ode
A formal poem of praise for a person, object, or experience.
Think: “Ode to a Nightingale.”
18. Spoken Word
A performance-based form of poetry — meant to be heard, not just read.
19. Found Poem
A poem created by reworking existing texts — like headlines, tweets, or ads — into poetic form.
20. Haiku
A 3-line Japanese form with 5-7-5 syllables.
Often captures a fleeting moment in nature.
21. Tanka (短歌) – Japanese
An older cousin to the haiku, the tanka is a five-line poem (5-7-5-7-7 syllables) that explores nature, emotion, and subtle reflection. It offers more space than a haiku for personal expression and layered meaning. Used by classical Japanese poets like Ono no Komachi and modern voices like Yosano Akiko
22. Surrealism
A poetic style that blends dreamlike imagery, irrationality, and the subconscious.
23. Ghazal – Arabic / Persian / Urdu
A poetic form with roots in Arabic and Persian, later flourishing in Urdu. Ghazals are composed of rhyming couplets and a refrain, with each couplet standing alone in meaning. Traditionally, they explore themes of love, loss, longing, and spiritual union. Famous in the works of Rumi, Hafiz, Mirza Ghalib, and Faiz Ahmed Faiz
24. Zéjel – Spanish/Arabic (Al-Andalus tradition)
A strophic (verse-based) form of poetry originating in medieval Al-Andalus (Muslim Spain), usually lyrical and musical in nature. Its rhythm and refrain structure make it ideal for oral performance and community storytelling — often on themes of love, justice, and peace.
25. Pantoum – Malay / French
A poetic form that originated in Malaysia and was adapted by French poets. It consists of quatrains (four-line stanzas) in which lines are repeated in a specific pattern, creating a sense of rhythm, echo, and meditation. Popular among modern poets exploring memory and cycles.
Where Peace Meets Poetry
Peace begins with presence. And writing poetry — with all its forms, metaphors, pauses, and possibilities — is a practice in presence. When young people learn to write poetry, they are not just learning to rhyme or to sound clever. They are learning to notice. To listen. To speak with intention.
That’s what this list is about: not just technical mastery, but poetic awareness.
At Poets & Peace, we’re here to nurture that awareness — with language that uplifts, resources that empower, and a community that listens. So keep this list close as you write, read, or teach. Let it be a reminder that poetry is both craft and calling — and you’re invited to answer.
-Aashi Singh
