Poetry Terms AP lit
rhyme
correspondence of sound between words or endings of words.
“hat” and “bat“
sestet
last 6 lines of a sonnet
slant rhyme
rhymes but not exactly
“worm“ and “swarm“
end rhyme
when the last syllables withing a verse rhyme
“heard“, ”word”
internal rhyme
when a word in the middle and at the end of a line rhyme
“i went to town to buy a gown“
allusion
expression that mentions something but not explicitly, a reference
paradox
self-contradicting statement that is actually true
“it was the beginning of the end“
free verse
type of poetry with no rhyme or meter
blank verse
type of poetry with regular meter, but no rhyme scheme. think shakespeare
alliteration
words that begin with the same consonant sound
“peter’s piglet pranced priggishly“
assonance
repetition of similar vowel sounds in words.
“trY to light the fire“
consonance
repetition of similar consonant sounds in words.
“toSS the glaSS, boSS“
conceit
implied comparison between things that are very different.
“the mighty oaks are as abundant as squirrels in the forest“
caesura
an audible pause, or break in verse
“to be or not to be—— that is the question“
enjambment
the running on of a sentence or thought between lines with no break (comma, period etc.)
apostrophe
addressing someone non-existent or non-human as if they were able to answer.
“blow, winds, blow!“
metonymy
when the whole is replaced by a related word.
“the crown“ for “the monarchy“
synecdoche
when the whole is replaced by a part
“stars and stripes“ for “the flag“
narrative poem
poem that tells a story through one narrator. think The Raven
dramatic monologue
when a leading character has a speech to a group of people
metaphysical poetry
poem that uses wit, explores philosophical topics, and uses meter loosely
couplet
two lines of poetry that usually rhyme
elegy
a work written to mourn a loss
ode
lyric poem, full of feeling and Style, dedicated to a subject
sonnet
type of 14-line poetry. contains an octave and a sestet. uses iambic pentameter
villanelle
french verse form with 5 3-line stanzas and a final quatrain. the first and third lines of the first stanza repeat alternately in the following stanzas
octet/octave
an 8-line stanza
lyric poem
an emotional, rhyming poem
quatrain
a piece of verse in 4 rhymed lines
tercet
poem or stanza with 3 lines
verse
some part of poetry- a single line, a stanza, or an entire poem
volta
indicates a change in subject matter
speaker
voice that addresses the reader
idylll
short, intricate, descriptive poem on a pastoral subject
meter
the regularity of the rhythm
how many times per line are stressed/unstressed syllables