Which forms of poetry appeared in ancient Hebrew literature before prose became common?

In ancient Hebrew literature, poetry likely preceded the development of prose. This early poetic tradition was defined by the principle of parallelism, where the two halves of a verse express a single idea through repetition or by emphasizing different aspects of the same thought.12

These poetic forms were characterized by a simple rhythm, achieved by dividing each half-line into an equal number of stressed words. The primary forms that emerged during this period included:1

• Folk songs: Potentially represented by large portions of the Song of Solomon.1
• Dirges: Songs of mourning or lamentation.1
• Epic chants: Narrative poems often focused on heroic or traditional themes.1
• Psalms: Religious poems and hymns, such as those found in the book of Psalms.1

While these forms were foundational, the use of various poetic structures within the works of the prophets is considered a later development in the evolution of the literature.1