Poetry

Stanza

A group of lines in a poem

Couplets

two lines of verse, usually in the same meter and joined by rhyme, that form a unit.

Quatrains

4 line stanzas

Enjambment

the continuation of a sentence without a pause beyond the end of a line, couplet, or stanza. -to complete its meaning

Caesura

Opposite of enjambment- refers to stops of pauses created by punctuation

Rhyme

Repetition of sounds at the end of words

Meter

Rhythm of the poem- consists of the pattern stressed and the number of times the pattern is repeated

Iambic pentameter

a poetic meter that is made up of 5 stressed syllables each followed by an unstressed syllable

Scansion

The process of analyzing poetic lines to determine meter.

Sonnet

14 line, one stanza, iambic pentameter poems.

Alliteration

Repetition of initial consonant sounds

Assonance

Repetition of vowel sounds

Consonance

Repetition of consonant sounds

Euphony

pleasant, harmonious sound

Cacaphony

harsh discordance of sound

Onomatopoeia

Type of sound created by a word that sounds like the word is represented. Ex: Boom! Crack! Pop!

Monologue

A single actor delivers an extended speech

Soliloquy

A verbal expression of a characters thoughts

Blocking

How actors move on stage

Stage directions

The instructions of how actors should speak or interact with others

Persona

The author playing a character

Shifts

The key to understanding and interpreting poetry