Rule Reminder: Poem Rating and Categories

Last article I talked about the guidelines for using the Poems section of Mibba. Now, I'm going into more detail about that section and a few of the rules that I think needed more than a sentence explanation.

First off, if a user has any questions about the Poems section they can either ask one of the Administrators or one of the two Poem Editors. The admins or poem editors will answer any questions that you may have about the poem section. I know some users have trouble establishing where the rules actually are. Guidelines are located in the Knowledge Base, which is at the bottom of the page.

What exactly will I be going over in this article? Poem types and how properly to rate them.

Poem Types

Acrostic

An acrostic poem is a poem (or other form of writing) where the first letter of each line or paragraph form a word or a message. Here is an example:

Decorates the grass

Every morning; glistening in the low morning sun

Wonderful wetness

Ballad

Ballads are poems that are usually songs that tell a story. Example:

"Brothers and men that shall after us be,/Let not your hearts be hard to us:/For pitying this our misery/Ye shall find God the more piteous.”—Francis Villon Ballad of the Gibbet

Elegy

Elegy is a type of poem that is similar to the ballad, with the except that they normally are sad and nature, and tend to focus on death or loss. It doesn't have to be sad at all, but it must be mournful. Example:

“If I cried out/who would hear me up there/among the angelic orders?/And suppose one suddenly/took me to his heart/I would shrivel” by Rainer Maria Rilke

Epic

An epic poem is very long and consists of other-worldly things. (Gods/Goddesses, hero, villain, supernatural elements, etc.) Not every Epic poem has to contain a multitude of supernatural aspects, however there must be a quest, a protagonist, antagonist, and should be lengthy. Excerpt of an example:

“Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary,/Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,/While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,/As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door./`'Tis some visitor,' I muttered, `tapping at my chamber door - Only this, and nothing more.'” “The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe

Free-verse

Free-verse poems have no structure, rhyme, or any noticeable patterns. They are free from any kind of limitations.

Haiku

A haiku is a three line, one stanza poem that follows the 5, 7, 5 syllable pattern. The first and third line should contain five syllables while the second should have seven. Example:

Limerick

A limerick is a short, humorous poem with an anapaest* or amphibrach* meter which has a strict rhyme scheme of AABBA. Meaning lines 1, 2, and 5 should rhyme, whereas lines 3 and 4 should rhyme.

Anapaest—a metrical foot consisting of two short or unstressed syllables followed by one long or stressed syllable.

Amphibrach—a metrical foot consisting of a stressed syllable between two unstressed syllables or (in Greek and Latin) a long syllable between two short syllables. Here is an example:

Narrative

Normally, a narrative poem has the intention of telling a story. However, just because the “intention” is to tell a story, it does not mean that it should be written as paragraphs. Mibba encourages creativity, but if the poem does not consist of lines or stanzas, then please post it as a drabble in the story section. Here is an example:

Ah, you mistake me, comrades, to think that my heart is steel!

Ode

An ode is usually a poem written to praise someone or something. Example:

Rhyme

As the name suggests, a rhyme is a poem that has some form of a patterned rhyme scheme. The only thing that matters when categorizing a rhyme is, “does it rhyme?” There is no one-way structure when dealing with rhymes! Example:

Sonnet

Sonnets are normally fourteen lined poems where each line consists of ten syllables, and follows a rhyme scheme of abab-cdcd-efef-gg. A good example of this is, “Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer's Day?”

Verse

Verse poems has a structured amount of syllables per line and lines per stanza. Rhyme and syllables do not matter, as long as it is well structured.

Rating

Rating poems are hard sometimes, what makes a poem rated NC-17 or what exactly is the difference between PG-13 and R?

G: Poems rated as G cannot contain profanity, sexual innuendo, sexual situations, violence, drugs, or anything not suitable for younger audiences.

PG: PG allows a bit more breathing room with mild implied sexual innuendo and minor use of swear words.

PG-13: Some violence and gore are permitted, along with sexual innuendos, and implied sexual relations. However, sexual scenes are not allowed, no matter how mild, innocent, or censored. May also contain a few serious topics like: suicide, rape aftermath, sexuality, etc.

R: As long as it isn't a sex scene it can be rated as R. Not recommended for minors.

NC-17: Explicit sexual material and violence is allowed.

If you have any questions about any part of the site and would like to see it in a future article, please let me know. Also, if you see anyone breaking any rules, or you see a poem categorized or rated incorrectly let one of the poem editors know.

Special thanks to psychotic secrets; and Airi. for editing.