poetry & vocab final

Poetry

a type of literature that expresses ideas, feelings, or tells a story in a specific form (usually using lines and stanzas)

Poet

the author of the poem

Speaker

the "narrator" of the poem

Form

the appearance of the words on the page

Line

a group of words together on one line of the poem

Stanza

a group of lines arranged together

Monostich

a one-line stanza

Couplet

a two-line stanza

Tercet/Triplet

a three-line stanza

Quatrain

a four-line stanza

Cinquain

a five-line stanza

Sestet/Sextet

a six-line stanza

Septet

a seven-line stanza

Octave

an eight-line stanza

Rythm

the beat created by the sounds of the words in a poem; can be created by meter, rhyme, alliteration and refrain

Meter

a pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in a repeating pattern

Foot

unit of meter; usually consists of one stressed and one or more unstressed syllables

Iambic Meter

a pattern of unstressed and stressed syllables

Pentameter

five feet on a line

Free Verse Poetry

does NOT have any repeating patterns of stressed and unstressed syllables; does NOT have rhyme; very conversational

Blank Verse Poetry

written in lines of iambic pentameter, but does NOT use end rhyme

Rhyme

words sound alike because they share the same ending vowel and consonant sounds

End Rhyme

a word at the end of one line rhymes with a word at the end of another line

Internal Rhyme

a word inside a line rhymes with another word on the same line

Near Rhyme/Imperfect Rhyme/Close Rhyme

words share EITHER the same vowel or consonant sound BUT NOT BOTH (ex. rose & lose)

Rhyme Scheme

a pattern of rhyme (usually end rhyme, but not always)

Onomatopoeia

words that imitate the sound they are naming OR sounds that imitate another sound (ex. buzz, bang, boom)

Alliteration

consonant sounds repeated at the beginnings of words
(ex. If Peter Piper Picked a Peck of Pickled Peppers, how many Pickled Peppers did Peter Piper Pick?)

Consonance

the repeated consonant sounds can be anywhere in the words (ex. Silken, Sad, unCertain, ruStling .)

Assonance

repeated VOWEL sounds in a line or lines of poetry; Often creates near rhyme (ex. lAke, fAte, bAse, fAde;
all share the long "a" sound)

Refrain

a sound, word, phrase or line repeated regularly in a poem

Lyric Poem

a short poem; usually written in first person point of view; expresses an emotion or an idea or describes a scene; do not tell a story and are often musical

Haiku Poem

a Japanese poem written in three lines; the first line containing five syllables, the second line containing seven syllables, and the third line containing five syllables

Cinquain Poem

a five line poem containing 22 syllables; the first line containing two syllables, the second line containing four syllables, the third line containing six syllables, the fourth line containing eight syllables, and the fifth line containing two syllables

Shakespearean Sonnet Poem

a fourteen-line poem with a specific rhyme scheme; the poem is written in three quatrains and ends with a couplet; love is typically the subject of the poem

Narrative Poem

a poem that tells a story; generally longer than the lyric styles of poetry because the poet needs to establish characters and a plot

Concrete Poem

in concrete poems, the words are arranged to create a picture that relates to the content of the poem

Simile

a comparison of two things using "like/as than," or "resembles" (ex. She is as beautiful as a sunrise)

Metaphor

a direct comparison of two unlike things (ex. All the world's a stage, and we are merely players)

Extended Metaphor

a metaphor that goes several lines or possible the entire length of a work

Implied Metaphor

the comparison is hinted at but not clearly stated

Hyperbole

exaggeration often used for emphasis (ex. I nearly died laughing)

Idiom

an expression where the literal meaning of the words is not the meaning of the expression; it means something other than what it actually says (ex. it's raining cats and dogs)

Personification

an animal given human-like qualities or an object given life-like qualities

Symbolism

when a person, place, thing, or event that has meaning in itself also represents, or stands for, something else

Allusion

allusion comes from the verb "allude" which means "to refer to;" an allusion is a reference to something famous

Imagery

language that appeals to the senses; most images are visual, but they can also appeal to the senses of sound, touch, taste, or smell

Libel

noun; a published false statement that is damaging to a person's reputation; a written defamation

Liaison

noun; communication or cooperation which facilitates a close working relationship between people or organizations

Levity

noun; humor or frivolity, especially the treatment of a serious matter with humor or in a manner lacking due respect

Lesion

noun; a region in an organ or tissue which has suffered damage through injury or disease, such as a wound, ulcer, abscess, or tumor

Legerdemain

noun; skillful use of one's hands when performing conjuring tricks

Layman

noun; a person without professional or specialized knowledge in a particular subject

Laudable

adjective; (of an action, idea, or goal) deserving praise and commendation

Lattice

noun; a structure consisting of strips of wood or metal crossed and fastened together with square or diamond-shaped spaces left between, used as a screen or fence or as a support for climbing plants

Larceny

noun; theft of personal property

Lament

noun; a passionate expression of grief or sorrow

Lampoon

verb; publicly criticize (someone or something) by using ridicule, irony, or sarcasm

Laconic

adjective; (of a person, speech, or style of writing) using very few words

Lackadaisical

adjective; lacking enthusiasm and determination; carelessly lazy

Lacerated

adjective; (of flesh or skin) torn or deeply cut

Labyrinth

noun; a complicated irregular network of passages or paths in which it is difficult to find one's way; a maze

Marginal

adjective; relating to or situated at the edge or margin of something

Malcontent

noun; a person who is dissatisfied and rebellious

Mediated

verb; intervene between people in a dispute in order to bring about an agreement or reconciliation

Median

noun; the middle of a sorted list of numbers

Mandate

noun; an official order or commission to do something

Malady

noun; a disease or ailment

Malevolent

adjective; having or showing a wish to do evil to others

Malignant

adjective; malevolent

Manifesto

noun; a public declaration of policy and aims, especially one issued before an election by a political party or candidate

Merger

noun; a combination of two things, especially companies, into one

Mercenaries

noun; a professional soldier hired to serve in a foreign army

Martyr

noun; a person who is killed because of their religious or other beliefs

Melee

noun; a confused fight, skirmish, or scuffle

Menagerie

noun; a collection of wild animals kept in captivity for exhibition

Marauders

noun; a person who marauds, a raider

Maladjusted

adjective; failing or unable to cope with the demands of a normal social environment

Maritime

adjective; connected with the sea, especially in relation to seafaring commercial or military activity

Mediocre

adjective; of only moderate quality, not very good

Meticulous

adjective; showing great attention to detail; very careful and precise

Narcissism

noun; excessive interest in or admiration of oneself and one's physical appearance

Nautical

adjective; of or concerning sailors or navigation; maritime

Nefarious

adjective; (typically of an action or activity) wicked or criminal

Negate

verb; nullify, make ineffective

Nemesis

noun; the inescapable agent of someone's or something's downfall

Neophyte

noun; a person who is new to a subject, skill, or belief

Nepotism

noun; the practice among those with power or influence of favoring relatives or friends, especially by giving them jobs

Nihilism

noun; the rejection of all religious and moral principles, in the belief that life is meaningless

Nirvana

noun; (in Buddhism) a transcendent state in which there is neither suffering, desire, nor sense of self, and the subject is released from the effects of karma and the cycle of death and rebirth. It represents the final goal of Buddhism

Nocturnal

adjective; done, occurring, or active at night

Nomad

noun; a member of a people having no permanent abode, and who travel from place to place to find fresh pasture for their livestock

Nomenclature

noun; the devising or choosing of names for things, especially in a science or other discipline

Nonpartisan

adjective; not biased or partisan, especially toward any particular political group

Nostalgia

noun; a sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past, typically for a period or place with happy personal associations

Objective

adjective; (of a person or their judgment) not influenced by personal feelings or opinions in considering and representing facts

Obliterate

verb; destroy utterly, wipe out

Obscure

adjective; not discovered or known about, uncertain

Obsolete

adjective; no longer produced or used, out of date

Obtrusive

adjective; noticeable or prominent in an unwelcome or intrusive way