Intro to Literature 2300 Poetry Study Guide

Vocabulary flashcards based on the poetry study guide for Intro to Literature 2300.

Verse

A single line of poetry.

Paraphrase

A restatement of a text or passage in one's own words.

Summary

A brief statement or account of the main points of a text.

Subject

The main topic or focus of a poem.

Theme

The underlying message or central idea explored in a poem.

Lyric poem

A type of poetry that expresses personal emotions or feelings, typically spoken in the first person.

Narrative poem

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

Dramatic poem

A poem that employs the techniques of drama, often featuring a dialogue between characters.

Didactic poem

A poem that is intended to instruct or convey a moral lesson.

Tone

The general attitude or emotional quality conveyed in a poem.

Satiric poetry

Poetry that uses humor, irony, or ridicule to criticize or mock.

Persona

The voice or character speaking in a poem that is not the poet.

Irony

A contrast between expectation and reality, often highlighting incongruities.

Sarcasm

A sharp or cutting remark, often intended to mock or convey contempt.

Diction

The choice of words and style of expression in a poem.

Concrete diction

Words that describe physical qualities or specific details.

Abstract diction

Words that describe concepts or ideas that cannot be seen or touched.

Poetic diction

The elevated word choice characteristic of poetry.

Allusion

A reference to another work of literature, person, or event.

Denotation

The literal or primary meaning of a word.

Connotation

The associations or additional meanings that a word carries beyond its literal meaning.

Image

A representation of a particular object or scene that appeals to the senses.

Imagery

The use of descriptive language that evokes sensory experience.

Simile

A figure of speech comparing two different things using 'like' or 'as'.

Metaphor

A figure of speech that makes a comparison between two unlike things without using 'like' or 'as'.

Personification

Attributing human qualities to non-human entities.

Apostrophe

A figure of speech in which a speaker addresses an absent person, idea, or thing.

Overstatement

An exaggerated claim or statement.

Understatement

A way of highlighting an idea by expressing it in a restrained manner.

Paradox

A statement that seems contradictory but may reveal a truth.

Pun

A form of wordplay that exploits multiple meanings of a term.

Stanza

A grouped set of lines in a poem, often set apart from others.

Rhyme scheme

The pattern of rhymes at the end of each line of a poem.

Refrain

A repeated line or group of lines in a poem.

Ballad

A form of narrative verse that tells a story, often set to music.

Alliteration

The repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words.

Assonance

The repetition of vowel sounds within nearby words.

Cacophony

A harsh, discordant mixture of sounds.

Euphony

Pleasant, harmonious sound.

Onomatopoeia

A word that phonetically imitates the sound it describes.