Wordsmiths and Versifiers,
Rhymesters and Sonneteers,
Bards and Balladeers…

Welcome to the Fifty-Two Form
Poetry Challenge!

The Challenge: Fifty-Two Forms in Fifty-Two Weeks.

In preparation for this challenge, I’ve collected as many unique poetic forms as I could find, giving each a number. Over the next 52 weeks, I’ll randomly select one form each week and make my best attempt to write an original poem, taking care to follow the chosen form’s particular conventions. I’ll share what I’ve learned along the way, with lots of links to further resources that I’ve found useful.

In each weekly post, I’ll provide an overview of the selected form, including a brief history, specific form requirements (meter, rhyme, syllable-count, etc.), and a few tips and techniques I found useful when working in the form. Each post will conclude with an original poem.

What you’ll need to play along:

– A list of at least 52 unique forms. I suggest collecting as many as you can (why not?). Robert Lee Brewer’s List of 168 Poetic Forms for Poets is a great place to start. Assign a number to each form you collect.

– A way to randomly select a number from 1 to 52. You can use an online random-number generator or fifty-two slips of paper in a ten-gallon hat. Have fun with it!

About the Author

I am not a professional writer or even a published poet. I am not a professor, scholar, or literary historian, and I speak with little authority on the subject of poetry as a whole. I do, however, consider myself an earnest enthusiast and lifelong student of poetry. As an undergrad, I had the extreme privilege of studying creative writing under former Kansas Poet Laureate Kevin Rabas at Emporia State University, and poetry under another Kansas Poet Laureate, the wonderful Eric McHenry, at Washburn University in Topeka.

As a songwriter, I’m especially interested in the intersection between music and poetry, and I’m excited to explore all the possible ways I may find to incorporate aspects of what I learn through this process into my songwriting endeavors. I believe all things are enhanced by the clarity, power, and imagination that a poetic perspective can bring.

This is my first attempt at such a lengthy challenge, and will also be my first time regularly publishing online. I embark on this adventure on the day of my 36th birthday. Please wish me luck, courage, and fortitude!

References and Acknowledgements

Robert Lee Brewer’s List of 168 Poetic Forms for Poets for The Writer’s Digest [updated 4/1/25] served both as an inspiration for the project and an essential online source of reference information and examples.

Edward Hirsch’s 700+ page A Poet’s Glossary is an exhaustive and equally indispensable source of both information and inspiration. Hirsch’s How to Read a Poem is also highly recommended.

Both aspiring and long-practicing poets would do well to keep a copy of Mary Oliver’s concise and gracefully crafted A Poetry Handbook close at hand.

On a more personal note, a special thanks to Eric McHenry for his invaluable guidance and enthusiastic support.