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Quiz about Poetic Forms
Quiz about Poetic Forms

The Ultimate Poetic Forms Quiz | Poetry


Sometimes there seem to be almost as many poetic forms as poems themselves! Okay, that's an exaggeration, but many unique forms of poetry exist, and this quiz covers some of them.

A multiple-choice quiz by Crystallina. Estimated time: 6 mins.
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Author
Crystallina
Time
6 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
74,621
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Tough
Avg Score
5 / 10
Plays
1141
- -
Question 1 of 10
1. This poetic form is characterized by fourteen lines of iambic pentameter and a rhyme scheme. This form has several variations including the Petrarchan. What form is it? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. This Japanese form of poetry has five lines. Line one has five syllables, line two has seven, line three has five, and lines four and five have seven syllables each, making a total of 31 syllables. Which form is this? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. This light verse form of poetry has five lines. The first, second, and last lines scan like this: weak STRONG weak weak STRONG weak weak STRONG, and the third and fourth scan like this: weak STRONG weak weak STRONG'. Which form is it? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. This French form of poetry has eight lines. The first, fourth, and seventh lines are identical. So are the second and eighth lines. It usually is written in a combination of iambic tetrameter and trimeter. Which form is it? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. This form is 19 lines and six stanzas long. There are two rhyming sounds with a rhyme scheme like this: aba aba aba aba aba abaa. Here's the confusing part: the first and third lines of the first stanza are repeated in alternation- the first line is the last line of the second stanza, the third line is the last line of the third stanza, etc. And the first and third lines are the third and fourth lines, respectively, in the last stanza. Which form is this? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. This form of Asian poetry is unique in its repetition. The second and fourth lines of every stanza are the first and third of the next, and the second and fourth lines of the final stanza happen to be the first and third lines of the first stanza, giving a 'circle' effect. Which form is this? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. This form of poetry has seven stanzas, six with six lines and one with three lines. The six words that end the first stanza's lines are repeated at the end of the lines in the first six stanzas. The final stanza uses two of these "keywords" per line. Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. This French form of poetry contains three eight-line stanzas and an envoy which may be either four or five lines long. The last line of the first stanza is the last line of all others, including the envoy. There are only three rhyming sounds, and no word can be repeated as a rhyme. Which form is this? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. This form of poetry resembles a word puzzle. There are six lines per stanza. In all stanzas but the last, the first four lines are two different lines repeated twice, and the last two lines use all the words of the previous line. The last stanza uses all the words of the previous stanzas. Which form is this? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. This form of poetry is French in origin and contains 13 lines. It is built on two rhymes. What is unique about this form is that the first few words of the first line are repeated as the last lines of the next stanzas. Hint



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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. This poetic form is characterized by fourteen lines of iambic pentameter and a rhyme scheme. This form has several variations including the Petrarchan. What form is it?

Answer: sonnet

One of the best known writers of sonnets was playwright and poet William Shakespeare.
2. This Japanese form of poetry has five lines. Line one has five syllables, line two has seven, line three has five, and lines four and five have seven syllables each, making a total of 31 syllables. Which form is this?

Answer: tanka

Not to be confused with the haiku, similar but with three lines in a 5-7-5 pattern.
3. This light verse form of poetry has five lines. The first, second, and last lines scan like this: weak STRONG weak weak STRONG weak weak STRONG, and the third and fourth scan like this: weak STRONG weak weak STRONG'. Which form is it?

Answer: limerick

There are hundreds of limericks written. Many tend to start with 'There once was a lady (or fellow, young man, woman, etc.) from Boston (or Rome, Italy, Niger, etc.).
4. This French form of poetry has eight lines. The first, fourth, and seventh lines are identical. So are the second and eighth lines. It usually is written in a combination of iambic tetrameter and trimeter. Which form is it?

Answer: triolet

The repeated lines usually are chosen to change in meaning when they are used, by enjambment or similar methods.
5. This form is 19 lines and six stanzas long. There are two rhyming sounds with a rhyme scheme like this: aba aba aba aba aba abaa. Here's the confusing part: the first and third lines of the first stanza are repeated in alternation- the first line is the last line of the second stanza, the third line is the last line of the third stanza, etc. And the first and third lines are the third and fourth lines, respectively, in the last stanza. Which form is this?

Answer: villanelle

Confusing, isn't it? It's easier to understand if you have an actual poem to go by. A good example of a villanelle is Dylan Thomas' 'Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night'. Here, also, enjambment is used frequently.
6. This form of Asian poetry is unique in its repetition. The second and fourth lines of every stanza are the first and third of the next, and the second and fourth lines of the final stanza happen to be the first and third lines of the first stanza, giving a 'circle' effect. Which form is this?

Answer: pantoun

Like the triolet and villanelle, pantouns often make use of enjambment with their repeated lines, to ease the repetition a bit.
7. This form of poetry has seven stanzas, six with six lines and one with three lines. The six words that end the first stanza's lines are repeated at the end of the lines in the first six stanzas. The final stanza uses two of these "keywords" per line.

Answer: sestina

These six words are generally chosen to have different meanings- i.e. the words can be either nouns or verbs, different usages, etc. Otherwise, the poem is at risk of becoming tediously repetitive.
8. This French form of poetry contains three eight-line stanzas and an envoy which may be either four or five lines long. The last line of the first stanza is the last line of all others, including the envoy. There are only three rhyming sounds, and no word can be repeated as a rhyme. Which form is this?

Answer: ballade

An example is 'The Ballade of Dead Ladies' by Francois Villon.
9. This form of poetry resembles a word puzzle. There are six lines per stanza. In all stanzas but the last, the first four lines are two different lines repeated twice, and the last two lines use all the words of the previous line. The last stanza uses all the words of the previous stanzas. Which form is this?

Answer: paradelle

These can be terribly difficult to write- word choice is crucial here.
10. This form of poetry is French in origin and contains 13 lines. It is built on two rhymes. What is unique about this form is that the first few words of the first line are repeated as the last lines of the next stanzas.

Answer: rondeau

An example is 'You Bid Me Try' by Austin Dobson.
Source: Author Crystallina

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