Key Literary Terms in Poetry Analysis

Author

The person who writes the poem; not always the same as the speaker or narrator within the poem.

Speaker

The voice or persona narrating the poem; this is who is "speaking" the words, which may or may not reflect the author's own voice.

Syntax

The arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences; poets often play with syntax for emphasis or style.

Simile

A comparison using "like" or "as" (e.g., "Her smile was as bright as the sun").

Metaphor

A direct comparison between two unlike things without using "like" or "as" (e.g., "Time is a thief").

Metonymy

A figure of speech where something is referred to by the name of something closely associated with it (e.g., "The crown" to mean the monarchy).

Personification

Giving human qualities to non-human things (e.g., "The wind whispered through the trees").

Symbolism

Using an object, person, or event to represent a deeper meaning or idea (e.g., a dove symbolizing peace).

Mood

The overall feeling or atmosphere that a poem creates for the reader (e.g., joyful, eerie, melancholic).

Situational Irony

When what actually happens is the opposite of what is expected or intended.

Hyperbole

An intentional and obvious exaggeration for effect (e.g., "I've told you a million times").

Imagery

Descriptive language that appeals to the senses (sight, sound, smell, touch, taste) to create vivid pictures in the reader's mind.

Denotation

The literal, dictionary definition of a word.

Connotation

The emotional or cultural meaning attached to a word beyond its dictionary definition (e.g., "home" connotes warmth and family).

Meter

The rhythmic structure of a line of poetry, typically measured in feet (units of stressed and unstressed syllables).

Rhyme Scheme

The pattern of end rhymes in a poem, usually marked by letters (e.g., ABAB).

End Rhyme

When the last words in two or more lines of poetry rhyme with each other.

Anaphora

The repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive lines or clauses (e.g., "I have a dream...").

Onomatopoeia

Words that imitate natural sounds (e.g., "buzz," "crash," "sizzle").

Stanza

A grouped set of lines in a poem, often set off by a space; similar to a paragraph in prose.

Sonnet

A 14-line poem, often written in iambic pentameter and following a specific rhyme scheme, like Shakespearean (ABAB CDCD EFEF GG).

Iambic Pentameter

A line of poetry with ten syllables, following a pattern of an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable, repeated five times.

Slant Rhyme

A near or imperfect rhyme where the sounds are similar but not exact (e.g., "worm" and "swarm").