It’s National Poetry Month
Some people read poetry voraciously, while others haven’t read a poem since high school. No matter which type of reader you are, National Poetry Month is a great time to remind yourself of why this form of writing has endured for centuries.
Explore Different Poem Formats
Lots of poems nowadays are free verse, meaning that while the language is sparse and carefully chosen, the form is whatever the poet wants it to be. It used to be that in order to be classified as a “poem,” a piece of writing had to follow a specific set of rhymes and syllables.
What Type of Poetry Speaks to You?
We’ve gathered examples of four different poetic formats: haiku, sonnet, ballad, and epic. Here’s an overview of what each type of poem looks like, as well as some examples of the very best of each genre.
You’ll find audiobooks and eBooks in each style of poetry. For a few of the most well-known poets, we’ve included their work in both formats. You may find that the experience of reading poetry is different depending on whether you hear it or see it on the (digital) page. You’ll also find a few poets who have collections in more than one style. That’s a testament to how important their work is to the world of poetry.
Once you’ve chosen a style to start with, you can take a look at the examples we’ve gathered for each.
Haiku
Haiku is an ancient Japanese form of poetry. The most well-known form of haiku is a three-line, unrhymed poem with 5-7-5 syllable structure (five in line one, seven in line two, five in line three). There are other versions of haiku, as well, all of which are brief, unrhymed poems. The classic topic for haiku is nature, but haiku can be written about anything.
Sonnet
The sonnet is a familiar form to many because of William Shakespeare, who wrote more than 150 of them. Its original form is very specific: three sets of four lines each (three quatrains) whose first and third lines rhyme and second and fourth lines rhyme, with two rhyming lines (a couplet) at the end. Often, the final couplet is a surprise or a twist on the preceding 12. The form has been reimagined many times, but most sonnets are 14-line poems.
Ballad
A ballad is a song or poem that summarizes major events or emotions. Traditionally, ballads were passed along orally rather than written down, so they have short, rhyming stanzas that people could memorize.
Epic
The word “epic” has come to mean an experience that’s monumental or awe-inspiring. That’s exactly what epic poems describe. The form is an ancient oral tradition that narrates the incredible journeys and deeds of a larger-than-life hero. Epics nearly always rhyme, which made them more amenable to memorization.
Haiku, Sonnet, Ballad, or Epic?
Which one speaks to you right now? Click one of the buttons below to find suggestions across each style.
Haiku Recommendations
Audiobooks
A Leaf on the Wind: A Collection of Tanka Poetry by Brett C. Persson and read by Anthony J. Miano
Tanka has been written in Japan for more than a thousand years. It includes five unrhymed lines with a syllabic structure of 5-7-5-7-7. Using the tanka form, Pearson explores love, loss, and trust with vivid imagery of hope, nature, and light.
Psalms from the Badlands written and read by Hosho McCreesh
Psalms are often associated with the Bible, but the term defines any poem or song whose purpose is worship. In this collection, McCreesh uses a spare, haiku-like form to celebrate the American Southwest in all its beauty and brutality.
shadow.self. written and read by Joe Arden
This collection explores duality, darkness, and desire in a straightforward, honest way. In sonnets, haiku, and free verse, Arden highlights our imperfect sides and shows how both light and dark shape who we are, encouraging readers to accept every part of themselves.
eBooks
The Illustrated Book of Japanese Haiku (various authors), translated by William Scott Wilson
This beautiful collection features over 385 haiku by more than 100 renowned Japanese poets. It includes the original Japanese text with English translations. It’s illustrated with 30 haiga, a type of Japanese art that combines the haiku itself with minimalist painting or sketching. These are by award-winning artist Manda, and the combination of words and art is truly breathtaking.
Poetry of Chiyo-Ni by Chiyo-Ni, Patricia Donegan, and Yoshie IshiBashi
Chiyo-Ni (1703-1775), Japan’s foremost female haiku poet, was also a skilled painter and a Buddhist nun. This collection includes over 100 of her seasonal haiku, other poems, and her artwork, as well as essays and artwork by others to celebrate this remarkable creator.
Cat Haiku by Deborah Coates
This fun collection of 150 haiku perfectly captures the quirky personality of cats, all in the classic 5-7-5 style. Paired with simple line drawings, it’s a lighthearted and relatable read for cat lovers and haiku lovers alike.
Sonnet Recommendations
Audiobooks
no one leaves the world unhurt written and read by John Foy
Foy draws on everyday experiences to craft compassionate, witty verse that often satirizes modern society. Influenced by pop and fine art, as well as his New York surroundings, his collection blends humor and depth, offering poems that feel thoughtful, playful, serious, and curious all at once.
Shakespeare’s Sonnets by William Shakespeare and read by Will Damron
Shakespeare’s sonnets comprise two sections: Sonnets 1-126 are known as the “Fair Youth” sonnets and deal with themes of legacy, love, and longing. Sonnets 127-154, the “Dark Lady” sonnets, focus on love, lust, and betrayal. His sonnets are so important to literature that the form he used is known as a Shakespearean Sonnet, no matter who writes it.
eBooks
Shakespeare’s Love Sonnets by William Shakespeare and illustrated by Caitlin Keegan
This collection features 29 of Shakespeare’s most romantic sonnets (which is really saying something, given that he’s one of the most romantic writers of all time). Each is paired with a modern illustration by Caitlin Keegan that gently highlights the emotion and depth of each poem.
Sonnets for a Missing Key by Percival Everett
Do keys matter? Do they reach different parts of us? Inspired by Chopin’s preludes and Art Tatum’s piano solos, these experimental sonnets explore tone and timbre. Or maybe not—they’re just sonnets, after all. Everett won the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award for his novel James, and this collection shows his incredible range.
Out of Order by Alexis Sears
In this collection, a biracial millennial poet explores growing into womanhood, identity, and confidence while unpacking tough topics like race, mental health, and loss. With pop culture nods to David Bowie and Prince, her poems blend skillful forms with an honest, relatable mix of humor, pain, and insight. This is Sears’s first poetry collection, and it shows she’s one to watch.
Ballad Recommendations
Audiobooks
Annabel Lee by Edgar Allan Poe and read by Johnathan Dunne
Edgar Allan Poe’s final completed poem tells a simple but haunting story about love that lasts beyond death. Set by the sea, it follows a romance cut short, as the narrator holds onto memories, mixing sadness with a soft, spooky tone.
The Ballad of Reading Gaol by Oscar Wilde and read by Arthur English
Wilde wrote this ballad after he was released from Reading gaol (or Reading jail), having been incarcerated for “crimes of gross indecency,” meaning homosexuality. It critiques the Victorian justice system and capital punishment, specifically the execution of fellow prisoner Charles Thomas Wooldridge. The poem explores guilt, suffering, and redemption, and includes the now-famous line, “each man kills the thing he loves.”
eBooks
Bab Ballads and Savoy Songs by W. H. Gilbert
This is the Gilbert from the famed musical pairing of Gilbert & Sullivan. Written before he gained fame for his comic opera Librettos, this collection helped shape his signature “topsy-turvy” style, where absurd situations unfold to their logical, hilarious ends. Highly recommended for fans of comic literature.
The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe
This poem has a permanent place in popular culture, because it’s an amazing mashup of Gothic creepiness and the absurdity of a man being driven mad by a bird (“nevermore”) and by his lost love (Lenore).
Epic Recommendations
Audiobooks
The Odyssey by Homer, translated and read by Daniel Mendelsohn
Originally written in Greek, Homer’s epic tells the story of Odysseus’s long trip home after the Trojan War, filled with monsters, magic, and angry gods. While he struggles to return, his wife and son deal with suitors, until he finally comes back in disguise and takes his life back.
The Inferno by Dante Alighiere, translated by Henry Francis Carey and read by Charles Armstrong
The Inferno is the first part of The Divine Comedy, depicting a journey from Hell toward salvation. The narrator finds himself lost in a dark forest, threatened by beasts, and witnessing the nine circles of hell, where sinners face fitting punishments. It’s the most famous section of this three-part Italian epic (and often referred to as Dante’s Inferno).
eBooks
The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri, translated by Henry Francis Carey and illustrated by Gustave Doré
Written in the early 1300s, Alighieri’s epic poem follows a journey through Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise. Told in first person, it symbolizes the soul’s path from sin to redemption, with three sections—Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso—carefully structured around the number three. Gustave Doré (1832-1883) is a French illustrator best known for his wood engravings of The Divine Comedy and the Vulgate Bible.
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight by the Gawain Poet
This 14th century poem is the introduction of the Green Knight, one of King Arthur’s greatest champions. Both judge and tester of knights, he is feared and admired, embarking on a perilous quest that challenges his courage, virtue, and skill. This epic was handed down orally over centuries, and the identity of the original poet (or poets) is lost to time.
The Half God of Rainfall by Inua Ellams
An epic tale of pride, power, and female vengeance. Demi’s emotions sway the elements, watched over by his mother, Modupe, who knows gods mirror men’s fragility. She will do anything to protect him, for when divine fury strikes, only the women in his life can shield him. This was written in 2019, demonstrating Ellams’s skill at reimagining the ancient poetic form for a contemporary world.
All Poetry, All Voices BingePass
All Poetry, All Voices BingePass
No matter what type of poetry you want to read, or which poet you’d like to explore, this BingePass probably has it. May Sarton, Galway Kinnell, Mary Oliver, John Ashbury, Bruce Weigl and dozens more—there are nearly 100 ebook collections of poetry from Modern and Contemporary poets.
BingePasses give you instant access to entire collections and premium streaming services for a single borrow through your local public library. With a BingePass you get unlimited 7-day, free access to binge movies, magazines, books and more with your library card.
Celebrate National Poetry Month
During National Poetry Month, Hoopla celebrates the beauty of verse. Join us and explore new styles, revisit old favorites, and share poems with family and friends.
Happy Poetry Month!
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