IB Lang and Lit: Poetry vocabulary

alliteration

The repetition of sounds, especially initial consonant sounds in two or more neighboring words (as in 'she sells seashells'). The repetition can reinforce meaning, unify ideas, supply a musical sound, and/or echo the sense of the passage.

allusion

A direct or indirect reference to something which is presumably commonly known, such as an event, book, myth, place, or work of art. Allusions can be historical, literary, religious, topical, or mythical.

apostrophe

A figure of speech that directly addresses an absent or imaginary person or a personified abstraction, such as liberty or love. It is an address to someone or something that cannot answer.

enjambment

A line having no end punctuation but running over to the next line.

extended metaphor

A metaphor developed at great length, occurring frequently in or throughout a work.

figurative language

Writing or speech that is not intended to carry literal meaning and is usually meant to be imaginative and vivid.

hyperbole

A figure of speech using deliberate exaggeration or overstatement. Hyperboles often have a comic effect; however, a serious effect is also possible.

imagery

The sensory details or figurative language used to describe, arouse emotion, or represent abstractions. It uses terms related to the five senses: visual, auditory, tactile, gustatory, and olfactory.

metaphor

A figure of speech using implied comparison of seemingly unlike things or the substitution of one for the other, suggesting some similarity.

mood

The prevailing atmosphere or emotional aura of a work. Setting, tone, and events can affect the mood.

onomatopoeia

A figure of speech in which natural sounds are imitated in the sounds of words. Simple examples include such words as buzz, hiss, hum, crack, whinny, and murmur.

parallelism

Also referred to as parallel construction or parallel structure, it refers to the grammatical or rhetorical framing of words, phrases, sentences, or paragraphs to give structural similarity.

anaphora

A sub-type of parallelism that occurs when there is exact repetition of words or phrases at the beginning of successive lines or sentences.

personification

A figure of speech in which the author presents or describes concepts, animals, or inanimate objects by endowing them with human attributes or emotions.

refrain

Repeated word or series of words in response or counterpoint to the main verse, as in a ballad.

repetition

The duplication, either exact or approximate, of any element of language, such as a sound, word, phrase, clause, sentence, or grammatical pattern.

rhyme

The repetition of identical concluding syllables in different words, most often at the ends of lines.

rhyme scheme

The pattern of rhyme, usually indicated by assigning a letter of the alphabet to each rhyme at the end of a line of poetry.

sarcasm

Involves bitter, caustic language that is meant to hurt or ridicule someone or something.

stanza

A group of poetic lines corresponding to paragraphs in prose; the meters and rhymes are usually repeating or systematic.

style

An evaluation of the sum of the choices an author makes in blending diction, syntax, figurative language, and other literary devices.

symbol/symbolism

Anything that represents itself and stands for something else, usually something concrete that represents something more abstract.

natural symbols

Objects and occurrences from nature to symbolize ideas commonly associated with them (e.g., dawn symbolizing hope).

conventional symbols

Symbols that have been invested with meaning by a group (e.g., religious symbols such as a cross).

literary symbols

Symbols that are found in a variety of works and are more generally recognized.

synesthesia

A rhetorical figure that describes one sensory impression in terms of a different sense.

theme

The central idea or message of a work, the insight it offers into life.

tone

Describes the author's attitude toward his material, the audience, or both.