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The differences between poem and song may become less meaningful where verse is set to music, to the point that any distinction becomes untenable. This is perhaps recognised in the way popular songs have lyrics.

However, the verse may pre-date its tune (in the way that "Rule Britannia" was set to music, and "And did those feet in ancient time" has become the hymn "Jerusalem"), or the tune may be lost over time but the words survive, matched by a number of different tunes (this is particularly common with hymns and ballads).

Possible classifications proliferate (under anthem, ballad, blues, carol, folk song, hymn, libretto, lied, lullaby, march, praise song, round, spiritual). Nursery rhymes may be songs, or doggerel: the term doesn't imply a distinction. The ghazal is a sung form that is considered primarily poetic. See also rapping, roots of hip hop music.

Analogously, verse drama might normally be judged (at its best) as poetry, but not consisting of poems (see dramatic verse).

[edit] See anyway

• List of national anthems
  • Patriotic songs
  • Royal anthem
• Rock and roll anthems
• List of Irish ballads
• Traditional British ballads
  • "Lillibullero"
  • "Scarborough Fair"
  • "Tam Lin"
  • "Thomas the Rhymer"
• "The House of the Rising Sun"
• "Stagger Lee"
• "Lift Every Voice and Sing"
• Nursery rhymes
  • "Hush Little Baby"
  • "Itsy Bitsy Spider"
  • "Ladybird, ladybird"
  • "Lizzie Borden"
• "Green grow the rushes"
• "Auld Lang Syne"
• "Desolation Row" — Bob Dylan

[edit] See also

• List of poems
• List of poetic forms