Page "Poetry" Paragraph 66

Specific poetic forms have been developed by many cultures.

In more developed, closed or " received " poetic forms, the rhyming scheme, meter and other elements of a poem are based on sets of rules, ranging from the relatively loose rules that govern the construction of an elegy to the highly formalized structure of the ghazal or villanelle.

Described below are some common forms of poetry widely used across a number of languages.

Additional forms of poetry may be found in the discussions of poetry of particular cultures or periods and in the glossary.