Poetry can take many, many forms. Instead of listing and explaining them all here, I'm going to link you to a great resource on poetry and the mechanics of poetry.
But before I do that, take a minute to read this article about the key differences between straight poetry and song lyrics. The author contends that song lyrics are not true poetry, and to some extent he is right. Popular song lyrics have become overly simplistic and un-thought inspiring as the 21st century has rolled along. I am hoping this will change for the better (and sooner than later would be great!). To be fair, there are some fantastic singer-songwriters out there who are writing thoughtful, inspired lyrics. They just aren't in Spotify's Top 50, which is too bad.
Even if Poetry and Song lyrics aren't exactly the same thing, songwriters can learn a lot from understanding how poetry works. I will save you hours of looking around and researching and point you to one of the best websites I have found on poetry writing. The following resources come from www.powerpoetry.org. It's a great site, and a HUGE site. Take a day and explore it; take up the challenges presented in the articles. Write some poems! Who cares if they're "good". Part of the thing about writing is that you are going to need to get used to working through several crappy first drafts before you finally create an acceptable version you feel is worth publishing. I've left songs for years because I wasn't happy with them. But then in a sudden flash, I would change two words and presto! The song is done.
Anyway, I digress. Here's the resource.
Getting started: http://www.powerpoetry.org/resource/how-to-create-poem
And so, so, so much more!
When you are writing poems that will be put to music, remember that you can completely mess with the style of poetry you are choosing to write. You may write a sonnet that only conforms to some of the rules, or a ballad that has an extra line. In the end, just aim to do what works.
Next, we will talk about rhyming.
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