Poetry, also called verse, is a form of writing that focuses on the aesthetic value of the written word, as opposed to prose, which attempts to mimic natural speech patterns.[1]
Poetry was well known within the magical and non-magical communities, with both groups producing numerous famous poets and poems. Hogwarts Library had a Poetry Section.
Poets
Wizardkind
| Wizard(s) | Notes |
|---|---|
| Colby Frey | A Slytherin student in the 21st century who was known to enjoy writing poetry[2] |
| Dulcibella Philbert | A Witch who wrote a book of poems for her husband[3] |
| Ginny Weasley | Wrote a poetic valentines message for Harry Potter[4] |
| Ingolfr the Iambic | A Norweigan poet in the 1400s, he wrote poems about Quidditch[5] |
| The Marauders | A group of Gryffindor students in the 1970s who wrote the Marauder's puzzle in verse[6] |
| Miranda Goshawk | Wrote five poems for her book, the Book of Spells[7] |
| Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington | The ghost of Gryffindor Tower wrote The Ballad of Nearly Headless Nick[8] |
| Percival Pratt | A wizard poet who's portrait hung in Hogwarts Castle[9] |
| Severus Snape | Hogwarts Headmaster and Potions Professor who wrote the Potion riddle in verse as part of his attempts to protect the Philosopher's Stone[10] |
| Talbott Winger | A Ravenclaw student in the 1980s and early 1990s, he wrote several poems that were published in the Daily Prophet[citation needed] |
| Tycho Dodonus | A Seer who wrote his prophecies in verse[11] |
Other poets
| Name | Notes |
|---|---|
| Alexander Pope | A Muggle poet[12] |
| Peeves | A Poltergeist who frequently mocked people with rhyming poems |
| Lord Byron | A famous Muggle poet who wrote several poems[13] |
| Lewis Carroll | An English author and poet[14] |
| William McGonagall | Celebrated as the worst poet in British history and a possible relative of Minerva McGonagall[15] |
| William Shakespeare | Commonly nicknamed 'the Bard', he wrote numerous poems alongside his plays[16] |
| Sphinx in the Triwizard Maze | The sphinx gave Harry Potter a poem for the latter to solve[17] |
Poetic works
Books of poems
- Ancient Acromantula text (anonymous)[18]
Individual poems
- Enter, stranger, but take heed
- Of what awaits the sin of greed,
- For those who take, but do not earn,
- Must pay most dearly in their turn,
- So if you seek beneath our floors
- A treasure that was never yours,
- Thief, you have been warned, beware
- Of finding more than treasure there.
- Seeker's verse by: Ingolfr the Iambic
- A poetic riddle by: the sphinx in the Triwizard Maze:
- First think of the person who lives in disguise,
- Who deals in secrets and tells naught but lies.
- Next, tell me what's always the last thing to mend,
- The middle of middle and end of the end?
- And finally give me the sound often heard
- During the search for a hard-to-find word.
- Now string them together, and answer me this,
- Which creature would you be unwilling to kiss?
- The Ballad of Angry Angus McMangus by: Miranda Goshawk
- The Ballad of Nearly Headless Nick by: Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington
- The Miserable Ode of Quivering Quintus by: Miranda Goshawk
- The Rhyme of Gormless Morgan by: Miranda Goshawk
- The Sorry Story of Distractible Douglas by: Miranda Goshawk
- The Tale of a Lazy Little Witch by: Miranda Goshawk
- Triwizard Tournament mersong
- Unidentified Gaelic poem (anonymous)[19]
Behind the scenes
- Plenty of spells in the series are poetic in nature, either rhyming or following a pattern of beats.[citation needed]
- There is a quiz on Harry Potter (website) called "The wizarding world poetry quiz".
Appearances
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (First appearance)
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (video game)
- Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
- Quidditch Through the Ages
- The Making of Harry Potter (Mentioned only)
- The Wizarding World of Harry Potter (Mentioned only)
- Harry Potter (website) (Mentioned only)
- Wonderbook: Book of Spells (Mentioned only)
- Harry Potter: Wizards Unite
- Harry Potter: Magic Awakened (Mentioned only)
- Hogwarts Legacy
Notes and references
- ↑
Poetry on Wikipedia
- ↑ Harry Potter: Magic Awakened (see this webpage)
- ↑ Hogwarts Legacy, Relationship Quest "A Basis for Blackmail"
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Chapter 13 (The Very Secret Diary)
- ↑ Quidditch Through the Ages, Chapter 8 (The Spread of Quidditch Worldwide)
- ↑ Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Year 3, "GRYFFINDOR CELEBRATION" Achievement
- ↑ Wonderbook: Book of Spells (see this video)
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (cut content)
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (video game) - Console versions
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Chapter 16 (Through the Trapdoor)
- ↑ Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald - The Original Screenplay, Scene 64
- ↑ The Tales of Beedle the Bard - Albus Dumbledore on "The Tale of the Three Brothers"
- ↑ The Making of Harry Potter (see this image)
- ↑ The Wizarding World of Harry Potter (see this image)
- ↑ Writing by J. K. Rowling: "Professor McGonagall" at Harry Potter (website)
- ↑ The Wizarding World of Harry Potter (see this image)
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 31 (The Third Task)
- ↑ Harry Potter: Wizards Unite
- ↑ Quidditch Through the Ages, Chapter 2 (Ancient Broom Games)
