AP LIT - Poetry Basics

verbal irony

what is said does not equal what is meant

dramatic irony

audience knows something that the characters in the story do not know

situational irony

the opposite of what is expected happens

tone

author’s attitude towards their subject

tercet

3 line stanza

quatrain

4 line stanza

cinquain

5 line stanza

sestet

6 line stanza

octave

8 line stanza

alliteration

repetition of consonant sounds (usually at beginning of a word)

assonance

repetition of vowel sounds (usually in the middle of a word)

rhyme scheme

regular pattern of rhyme

end rhyme

a rhyme that occurs at the end of a linei

internal rhyme

rhymes that occur within a line

meter

the pattern of stressed (accented) and unstressed (unaccented) syllables in a line of poetry

to scan

to determine the meter of a poem

foot

a unit of meter

iamb

U /

most common in American English because it’s naturally iambic

trochee

U /

slowest meter

dactyl

/ U U

“classical foot” because the Greek and Romans used it

anapest

U U /

fastest meter

how to describe meter

type of foot + number of feet per line

classical meter

dactylic hexameter

nonameter

9 feet per line

trimeter

3 feet per line

tetrameter

4 feet per line

pentameter

5 feet per line

hexameter

6 feet per line

heptameter

7 feet per line

octameter

8 feet per line

blank verse

unrhymed iambic pentameter

free verse

no regular meter, no regular rhyme, no regular structure, no regular line length

how to scan a poem

1. count the syllables per line

2. find the multisyllabic woords

3. notate them

4. fill in the blanks

vocabulary in poetry

certain words are only acceptable in poetry and are used to help the author maintain meter

ex. never —> ne’er

syntax in poetry

word order changed to maintain a regular meter

inverted syntax

word order that breaks normal rules but matches meter

compression

words are removed to maintain meter

couplets

2 consecutive lines with same rhyme and meter

heroic couplet

2 consecutive rhymed lines of iambic pentameter

narrative poetry

poetry that tells a story

epic

• type of narrative poetry

• heroes, elevated tone, gods/goddesses

• long

ballad

• type of narrative poetry

• meant to be sung

dramatic poetry

plays/drama written in poetry

dramatic monologue

poem where a character of a play gives an extended speech to another character

lyric poetry

poetry that is songlike

• short

• descriptive

• expresses emotions

elegy

• type of lyric poetry

• mourns a death

ode

• type of lyric poetry

• pays a tribute

sonnet

• type of lyric poem

• expresses one sentiment/theme

• most popular form of English poetry

the Italian sonnet

• also known as Petrarchan sonnet because Francis Petrarch was the best at it

• begins in 1300s

meter of Petrarchan sonnet

14 lines of iambic pentameter

structure of Petrarchan sonnet

one octave — sets up problem/question

one sestet — resolves problem/question

rhyme scheme of Petrarchan sonnet

ABBA ABBA CDE CDE

or

ABBA ABBA CD CD CD

the English sonnet

• also known as Shakespearean sonnet because William Shakespeare was the best at it

• Renaissance-era

meter of Shakespearean sonnet

14 lines of iambic pentameter

structure of Shakespearean sonnet

first quatrain — expresses separate thought #1

second quatrain — expresses separate thought #2

third quatrain — expresses separate thought #3

concluding couplet — sums up or comments on previous thoughts

rhyme scheme of Shakespearean sonnet

ABAB CDCD EFEF GG

the Spenserian sonnet

• invented by Edmund Spenser

• slightly modifies the English sonnet

meter of Spenserian sonnet

14 lines of iambic pentameter

structure of Spenserian sonnet

same structure as English/Shakespearean sonnet

first quatrain — expresses separate thought #1

second quatrain — expresses separate thought #2

third quatrain — expresses separate thought #3

concluding couplet — sums up or comments on previous thoughts

rhyme scheme of Spenserian sonnet

nearly the same as Shakespearean sonnet, but it has connecting rhymes

ABAB BCBC CDCD EE