Poetry Literary Devices and Forms: Rhyme, Meter, and Structures

Rhyme

The repetition of similar or identical sounds at the end of two or more words (e.g., cat/hat).

Slant Rhyme

An imperfect rhyme in which the sounds are similar but not identical (e.g., worm/swarm or shape/keep).

End Rhyme

When the last words in two or more lines rhyme.

Internal rhyme

When a word within a line rhymes with another word in the same or nearby line.

Free Verse

Poetry that does not have a regular rhyme scheme or meter.

Blank Verse

Unrhymed poetry written in iambic pentameter.

Alliteration

The repetition of initial consonant sounds in closely positioned words (e.g., Peter Piper picked...).

Assonance

The repetition of vowel sounds within nearby words (e.g., rise high in the bright sky).

Consonance

The repetition of consonant sounds within or at the end of words (e.g., blank and think).

Conceit

An extended, elaborate metaphor that compares two very unlike things in a surprising way.

Caesura

A pause or break in the middle of a line of poetry, often marked by punctuation.

Enjambment

When a line of poetry continues onto the next line without a pause or punctuation.

End-stropped line

A line of poetry that ends with a natural pause, often marked by punctuation.

Metonymy

A figure of speech in which one thing is referred to by something closely associated with it (e.g., The White House announced = the president/government).

Synecdoche

A figure of speech in which a part represents the whole or vice versa (e.g., All hands on deck = sailors).

Narrative Poem

A poem that tells a story, with characters, plot, and setting.

Lyric Poem

A short poem expressing personal feelings or thoughts, often in first person.

Idyll

A poem that idealizes rural life or nature.

Metaphysical Poem

A highly intellectual poem that uses complex metaphors (conceits) to explore abstract ideas like love, death, or religion.

Couplet

Two consecutive lines of poetry that usually rhyme and have the same meter.

Dramatic Monologue

A poem in which a single speaker addresses a silent listener, revealing their character in the process.

Elegy

A poem of mourning or reflection, usually about death or loss.

Ode

A formal, often elaborate poem that praises or glorifies a person, object, or idea.

Sonnet

A 14-line poem, typically written in iambic pentameter, often focused on love and containing a volta (turn).

Octave/octet

An eight-line stanza or the first eight lines of an Italian sonnet.

Sestet

A six-line stanza or the final six lines of an Italian sonnet.

Quatrain

A four-line stanza or unit of verse.

Tercet

A three-line stanza or unit of verse.

Verse

A single line of poetry, or more broadly, poetry in general.

Volta/Turn

A shift in tone, mood, or argument within a poem, often seen in sonnets (usually between the octave and sestet).