Poetry Terms

1. Poetry Terms

2. Alliteration (Figurative Language) • Repeating the same FIRST consonant sound in several words. • Ex: Fragrant flowers, dog days, cool as a cucumber

3. Assonance (fig. Lang.) • The repetition of vowel sounds in several words. • Ex: “Quick fix” • Ex: “Around Town”

4. Consonance (fig. Lang.) • the repetition of the same consonant two or more times in short succession, • Ex: "pitterpatter" • "all mammals named Sam are clammy".

5. Onomatopoeia (fig. Lang.) • Using words that sound like what they mean; words that express sound. • Examples: buzz, click-clack, woof, hiss

6. Imagery (fig. Lang.) • Imagery is one of a poet’s most powerful tools. Using sensory details, poets create pictures (imagery) in the readers’ mind.

7. Simile (fig. Lang.) • A comparison using like or as • Example: • …The whistle of a boat Calls and cries endlessly Like some lost child

8. Metaphor (fig. Lang.) • A comparison not using like or as • Example: • The days are nouns; touch them • The hands are churches that worship the world

9. Denotation • The dictionary meaning of a word.

10. Connotation • The associations called up by a word that goes beyond its dictionary meaning. Poets, especially, tend to use words rich in connotation.

11. Diction • Refers to an author’s choice of words and their connotations. • Ex: Using ‘gleeful’ instead of ‘glad…’

12. Syntax • Refers to the sentence structure; the way they put their poems together. • Does the writer use compound sentences, simple sentences? Are they choppy? Etc.

13. Allusion • A reference to something that exists outside of a literary work. Poets often use allusion to draw connections in their readers’ minds.

14. Rhyme Scheme • A regular pattern of end rhymes. • Ex: Roses are red A Violets are blue B Sugar is sweet C And so are you B

15. Free Verse • Poetry that does not have a regular rhyme scheme.

16. Stanza • The grouping of lines in a poem • A division or unit of a poem that is repeated in the same form--either with similar or identical patterns or rhyme and meter, or with variations from one stanza to another. • Xxxxxxxxxx • Xxxxxxxxxxx_Stanza! • Xxxxxxxxxxxxx • Xxxxxxxxxxxx • Xxxxxxxxxxxx • xxxxxxxxxxxx

17. Couplet • A pair of lines in a meter of poetry. Usually refers to two rhyming lines. • Ex: True wit is nature to advantage dress'd; What oft was thought, but ne'er so well express'd. — Alexander Pope

18. Rhythm • A musical quality based on repetition. When you talk about the beat you hear when you read a poem, you are describing its rhythm.

19. Repetition • repeating the same word or phrase for emphasis

20. Tone • The author’s attitude, stated or implied, toward a subject. Some possible attitudes are pessimism, optimism, earnestness, seriousness, bitterness, humorous, and joyful. An author’s tone can be revealed through choice of words and details.

21. Mood • is the feeling a piece of literature arouses in the reader: happy, sad, peaceful, etc. Mood is the overall feeling of the piece, or passage. • For example, an author may create a mood of mystery around a character or setting but may treat that character or setting in an ironic, serious, or humorous tone

22. Haiku • A three line poem • 5-7-5 syllables The wind speaks to me It whispers soft in the night Listen, what does it say?

23. Lyric Poem • Expresses a speaker’s emotions or thoughts. It does not tell a story. Lyric poems usually convey a single strong emotion.

24. Narrative Poem • A poem that tells a complete story. • Ex: Twas the Night Before Christmas

25. Sonnet • A 14 line lyric poem—many by Shakespeare! • Most sonnets are written with a rhythm called iambic pentameter and have a regular rhyme scheme.

26. Ode • (traditionally) a long lyric poem that considers a serious subject and is written in a dignified style

27. Ballad • songlike poem that tells a story– generally has a regular pattern of rhyme and a refrain

28. Epic • a long narrative poem that relates the deeds of a hero • (The Iliad/The Odyssey)