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
count the syllables per line
find the multisyllabic woords
notate them
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