What is form?

Form refers to the type of text, for example novel, haiku, sonnet, that the writer has used. It is significant because the writer has deliberately chosen the form in order to best convey the themes or characters they are writing on. An example is when a poem may have seven lines of similar length followed by an eighth significantly longer line. In this case the writer may be using the last line to indicate that all is not as perfect as it seems or that the issue is unresolved. Form can also refer to whether the text is written in the first, second or third person. For example a writer may use the first person in order to make the reader feel they have more insight into the characters thoughts.