Poet's Glossary
Every craft has its vocabulary, and poetry's is one of the most beautiful. This glossary explains the forms, meters, rhymes and devices poets reach for, in plain and warm language. Whether you are decoding a sonnet or naming a technique you already use by instinct, start with a letter below.
Terms starting with N
Narrative Poetry
Poetry that tells a story with characters, setting and plot, from ancient epics to modern verse novels. The ballad is its most compact traditional vehicle.
Nocturne
A poem of the night, contemplative and hushed, borrowing its name from music. Night gives the nocturne its privacy and its honesty.
Nonsense Verse
Verse that delights in absurd logic, invented words and impeccable rhythm, mastered by Edward Lear and Lewis Carroll. Its craft is entirely serious even when its meaning is not.
All letters
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