Poetry TermsPoetry Terms

Alliteration:Alliteration:

The repetition of sounds in The repetition of sounds in a group of words as ina group of words as in

“Peter Piper Picked a Peck “Peter Piper Picked a Peck of Pickled Peppers.” of Pickled Peppers.”

Allusion:Allusion:A reference to a person, A reference to a person,

place, or thing--often literary, place, or thing--often literary, mythological, or historical. mythological, or historical. The infinitive of allusion is The infinitive of allusion is

to allude.to allude. e.g. Romeo alludes to the e.g. Romeo alludes to the

mythological figure Diana in mythological figure Diana in the balcony scene.the balcony scene.

Assonance:Assonance:

The repetition of vowel The repetition of vowel sounds as in sounds as in

“And so, all the n“And so, all the niight-tght-tiide, de, II l liie e down by the sdown by the siidede

Of my darling, my darling, my lOf my darling, my darling, my liife fe and my brand my briide. de.

--Edgar Allan Poe, --Edgar Allan Poe, Annabel LeeAnnabel Lee

Atmosphere:Atmosphere:

The overall feeling of a The overall feeling of a work, which is related to work, which is related to

tone and mood. tone and mood.

Blank verse:Blank verse:

Unrhymed lines of poetry Unrhymed lines of poetry usually in iambic usually in iambic

pentameter. Plenty of pentameter. Plenty of modern poetry is written modern poetry is written

in blank verse. in blank verse.

Consonance:

The repetition of consonant sounds as in

“The fair breeze blew, the white foam flew,

The furrow followed free;”

--The Rime of the Ancient Mariner

Couplets:Couplets:

A pair of rhyming lines in a A pair of rhyming lines in a poem often set off from poem often set off from the rest of the poem. the rest of the poem.

Shakespeare’s sonnets all Shakespeare’s sonnets all end in couplets. end in couplets.

DictionDiction

1)Word choice.1)Word choice.

2) The author’s choice of words. 2) The author’s choice of words. An author has the option of An author has the option of choosing any word from our choosing any word from our language, why does he/she language, why does he/she

choose to use certain words and choose to use certain words and not others? In order to create a not others? In order to create a

certain tone.certain tone.

Elegy:Elegy:

A poem mourning the A poem mourning the dead. dead.

End rhyme:End rhyme:

Rhyming words that are at Rhyming words that are at the ends of their the ends of their

respective lines—what we respective lines—what we typically think of as normal typically think of as normal

rhyme. rhyme.

Epic:Epic:

A long poem narrating the A long poem narrating the adventures of a heroic adventures of a heroic

figurefigure

e.g. Homer’s e.g. Homer’s The OdysseyThe Odyssey..

Figurative Language:Figurative Language:

Whenever you describe something by Whenever you describe something by comparing it with something else, you comparing it with something else, you

are using figurative language. Any are using figurative language. Any language that goes beyond the literal language that goes beyond the literal

meaning of words in order to furnish new meaning of words in order to furnish new effects or fresh insights into an idea or a effects or fresh insights into an idea or a

subject.subject.

e.g. Whenever you call something “cool,” e.g. Whenever you call something “cool,” you’re not talking about its temperature you’re not talking about its temperature

but referring to some other quality it but referring to some other quality it

possesses.possesses.

Free Verse:Free Verse:

Poetry with no set Poetry with no set meter (rhythm) or meter (rhythm) or

rhyme scheme. rhyme scheme.

Iambic pentameter:Iambic pentameter:

Ten-syllable lines in which Ten-syllable lines in which every other syllable is every other syllable is

stressed. stressed. - ’ - ’

e.g. “With eyes like stars e.g. “With eyes like stars upon the brave night air.”upon the brave night air.”

Imagery:Imagery:

The use of description that helps The use of description that helps the reader imagine how something the reader imagine how something

looks, sounds, feels, smells, or looks, sounds, feels, smells, or tastes. Most of the time, it refers to tastes. Most of the time, it refers to

appearance.appearance.

e.g. “Tita was so sensitive to onions, any e.g. “Tita was so sensitive to onions, any time they were being chopped, they say time they were being chopped, they say

she would just cry and cry; when she she would just cry and cry; when she was still in my great-grandmother’s was still in my great-grandmother’s

belly her sobs were so loud that even belly her sobs were so loud that even Nacha, the cook, who was half-deaf, Nacha, the cook, who was half-deaf,

could hear them easily.”could hear them easily.” ----Like Water for ChocolateLike Water for Chocolate

Internal rhyme:Internal rhyme:

A rhyme that occurs within A rhyme that occurs within one line such as “He’s one line such as “He’s King of the Swing.” King of the Swing.”

Lyric:Lyric:

A type of poetry that A type of poetry that expresses the poet’s expresses the poet’s

emotions. It often tells emotions. It often tells some sort of brief story, some sort of brief story,

engaging the reader in the engaging the reader in the experience. experience.

Metaphor:Metaphor:

A comparison of two unlike A comparison of two unlike things using any form of the things using any form of the verb “to be”–-i.e. am, are, verb “to be”–-i.e. am, are,

is, was, were. is, was, were.

Ex: “This chair is a rock,” or Ex: “This chair is a rock,” or

“I am an island.” “I am an island.”

Meter:Meter:

The pattern of stressed The pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables and unstressed syllables in the lines of a poem. in the lines of a poem.

Mood:Mood:

The feeling created in the The feeling created in the reader by a literary work or reader by a literary work or passage.  The mood may be passage.  The mood may be

suggested by the writer's suggested by the writer's choice of words, by events in choice of words, by events in the work, or by the physical the work, or by the physical

setting.   setting.  

Myth:Myth:

A legend that embodies the A legend that embodies the beliefs of people and offers beliefs of people and offers

some explanation for some explanation for natural and social natural and social

phenomena. phenomena.

Onomatopoeia:Onomatopoeia:

The use of words that The use of words that sound like what they sound like what they mean such as “buzz,” mean such as “buzz,” “bang,” or “tic-tock.” “bang,” or “tic-tock.”

Personification:Personification:

Giving inanimate objects Giving inanimate objects human characteristics. human characteristics.

e.g. “The wind howled e.g. “The wind howled through the night.”through the night.”

Prose:Prose:

Writing organized into Writing organized into sentences and paragraphs sentences and paragraphs

that is not poetry.that is not poetry.

e.g. Novels and short e.g. Novels and short stories are examples of stories are examples of

prose.prose.

Quatrain:Quatrain:

A four-line stanza. A four-line stanza.

Simile:Simile:

Comparing two unlike things Comparing two unlike things using “like” or “as.” using “like” or “as.”

e.g. “I’m as hungry as a e.g. “I’m as hungry as a pig,” or “Your eyes are like pig,” or “Your eyes are like

stars that brighten my stars that brighten my night.”night.”

Sonnet:Sonnet:

A fourteen-line poem written A fourteen-line poem written in iambic pentameter. in iambic pentameter.

Different kinds of sonnets have Different kinds of sonnets have different rhyme schemes. The different rhyme schemes. The

most notable are most notable are Shakespeare’s Sonnets which Shakespeare’s Sonnets which employ the abab,cdcd,efef,gg employ the abab,cdcd,efef,gg

rhyme scheme.rhyme scheme.

Stanza:Stanza:

A major subdivision in a A major subdivision in a poem. A stanza of two poem. A stanza of two

lines is called a couplet; a lines is called a couplet; a stanza of three lines is stanza of three lines is

called a tercet; a stanza of called a tercet; a stanza of four lines is called a four lines is called a

quatrain. quatrain.

Symbolism:Symbolism:

The use of one thing to The use of one thing to represent another. represent another.

SomethingSomething that stands for that stands for something elsesomething else. .

e.g. A dove is a symbol of e.g. A dove is a symbol of peace.peace.

Theme:Theme:

The central idea of a work. The central idea of a work.

Tone:Tone:

The author’s attitude toward The author’s attitude toward the subject of the work. the subject of the work.

Usually positive or negative.Usually positive or negative.

e.g. The tone of a piece of e.g. The tone of a piece of literature could be literature could be

pessimistic, optimistic, pessimistic, optimistic, angry, or sarcastic.angry, or sarcastic.

Voice:Voice:

The authorial presence in The authorial presence in a piece of literature a piece of literature whether in the first, whether in the first,

second, or third person. second, or third person.