Poetry For Idiots?

[electrosmack1]

For a Literature class I'm taking, the assignment is to write four poems, a Ballad, Prose Poem, Sonnet and Haiku. This is the first time I'm writing poetry, so I have no clue what to do. I'm really lost. Does anyone have examples, or online resources? Thanks.
Thanks, but what does this mean;

The sonnet has to "rhymin abab cdcd efef gg or abba cddc effe gg."

[Nannajill]

A ballad should be easy - think of all the American Heroes of the old west, and write it in rhyming couplets.


Jesse James was an outlaw, and with brother Frank
They rode into Deadwood - their target - the Bank.
Jesse was evil, he had hate in his eyes
He loved more than cash, he took people's lives.
When the teller was slow, Jesse wanted him dead
So just for fun, shot him right through the head.
Frank and Jesse were outlaws, the scum of the West
and so on
(if you want them to be heroes just change things around a bit)

A prose poem would be (not that I ever write them)
An unrhymed, even perhaps unrhymical piece. Let your imagination rip. If you don't know any poetry, think of some songs you like. I like Paul Simons' stuff - be uses expressions like 'the injured road'
Sonnet and Haikut - there will be definitely be explanation of those on the web. (All I can remember is a Sonnet has 14 lines - the rhyme scheme can vary depending on whether it is a Shakesperean Sonnet or whatever) Haikus (usually) have a 5, 7, 5 syllables (check out some stuff on here) but don't pinch anything!
Best of luck