Poetry Terms

verse

a unit of poetry such as a stanza or a line

blank verse

unrhymed iambic pentameter

free verse

poetry free of any restrictions; poetry not tied to a particular pattern

figurative language

language that communicates beyond the literal meaning of the words

personification

giving an animal or inanimate object human qualities or emotions

hyperbole

using extreme exaggeration to make a point

simile

comparing two things using "like" or "as"

metaphor

comparing two things without using "like" or "as"

imagery

concrete details which appeal to the senses so that we can see or sense what is being written about

connotation

the attitudes and feelings associated with a word

denotation

the literal or dictionary definition of a word

diction

the author's choice of words

rhyme scheme

the pattern in which rhyme sounds occur in a stanza

rhythm

the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in a line of poetry

meter

the recurrence of a rhythmic pattern in poetry

alliteration

the repetition of initial consonant sounds in words

refrain

the repetition of one or more phrases or lines at intervals in a poem

onomatopoeia

the use of a word whose sound suggests its meaning

stanza

a division of a poem based on thought or form

couplet

two lines of verse that rhyme a-a

quatrain

four rhymed lines that can take various forms

heroic couplet

two successive rhyming verses that contain a complete thought within two lines and usually consists of iambic pentameter

narrative poem

a poem that tells a story

lyric poem

a short poem that expresses emotional feelings

sonnet

a 14 line poem stating the poet's personal feelings

elegy

a poem that states a poet's sadness about the death of an important person

ballad

a poem in verse that tells a story

ode

a poem of high seriousness written on a variety of topics

haiku

a Japanese form of poetry using natural imagery to convey a sense of mystery

limerick

a humorous verse of five lines

visual poetry

poetry that depends for its effects largely upon the layout of the words on the page

found poem

a poem that has not been deliberately composed but discovered, by chance, in some other context