Poetry terminology

The literary term and the effect it has

First person narrator

Reader understands the narrator and sympathises with them

Omniscient narrator

Structured. reader can gain knowledge about many characters who aren’t together. Objective view.

Metaphor

Activates the imagination, and the writer is more able to convey emotions and impressions

Simile

Similes create a figurative comparison, and the reader is forced to think about how those two separate objects are similar.

Personification

Personification can lend atmosphere to a setting or give lifelikeness to an object or animal that might otherwise seem dull. It also adds a deeper meaning to things that do not possess complex human attributes

Transferred epithet (e.g. "I had a wonderful day." The day is not in itself wonderful. The speaker had a wonderful day. OR angry wind OR happy sun)

They create more vivid and descriptive language. They also add an emotional element to something which has no feelings)

Motif

Reinforces the theme of the story. Underlines an idea in the story; this creates depth and emotional resonance without the need to state the theme too overtly.

Symbol

It is a visual aid which allows authors to convey complex and abstract ideas in a subtle and nuanced way.

Pathetic fallacy

Serves to reflect the human emotions observed in the inanimate objects of nature with the emotions of the characters, the tone or mood of the setting, and/or to foreshadow or reflect plot elements

Repetition

Repetition can create a rhythm or break it. Also used to emphasize a feeling or idea, create rhythm, and/or develop a sense of urgency.

Oxymoron (false truth)

They bring dramatic effect to the writing. When two contrasting words are juxtaposed, this makes us, as readers, stop and think. Oxymorons can be used to create irony, suspense, or to add comedy to a piece of literature.

Synesthesia (the sun is silent)

Serves to develop increased interiority, letting readers see things from the protagonist's or speaker's perspective

Polysyndeton (Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night)

The use of polysyndeton can slow down the rhythm of a phrase, make it more memorable, or emphasize each individual item in a list

Hyperbole (The brightness of her cheek would shame those same stars - an exaggeration)

Allusion (She had the feeling she had a golden ticket: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - indirect reference to something)

Authors use allusions to prompt deeper understanding by relating ideas

Alliteration

It can help to focus the reader's attention on a particular section or phrase. It's also a clear way to signify that the alliterative words are linked together thematically

Sibilance (sheep should sleep in a shed)

It creates an atmosphere of somberness, closeness, and sleepiness. It can also make the reader feel uneasy

Assonance (go slower over the road - repetition of vowel sounds)

It creates a sense of melancholy with the repetition of the sound ‘oh’

Rhyme

Creates unity of sound and sense

Half rhyme (hit and put)

They are less tiring than full rhymes and allow the writer more creative freedom

Pararhyme (more and mere)

Throws the reader off balance

Enjambement - continuation of a phrase from one line of poetry to the next

Winter kept us warm, covering
Earth in forgetful snow

Used to speed up the pace of the poem or to create a sense of urgency, tension, or rising emotion as the reader is pulled from one line to the next

Caesura (To be, || or not to be || - that is the question - pause in a line of poetry, usually marked by some form of punctuation such as a period, comma, ellipsis, or dash)

It keeps a feeling of natural flow and is soothing to read. Alternatively, it can make a dramatic pause to add a theatrical feel to a line.

Ellipsis (…)

It's used to indicate the omission of words in a text, a pause in speech, an unfinished thought, or a trailing off into silence. Ellipses can also be used to build suspense or imply something left unsaid.

Onomatopoeia (hiss)

Onomatopoeia gives us a distinct way to convey sounds through words. Onomatopoeic words inspire vivid imagery and help create an immersive, relatable experience for the reader

Anaphora (repetition of word/phrase at the beginning of a line)

Used to appeal to the emotions of the audience in order to persuade, inspire, motivate and encourage them.

Elegy (poem that laments the death of someone, or is sad)

It is used to mourn, to overcome, and to discuss what happens after life. These poems tap into themes that are universally relatable. They transcend time and place.

Octave (stanza made up of 8 lines written in iambic pentameter)

Make the poem easy to remember and more lyrical

Quatrain (stanza made up of 4 lines)

Volta (turn in the argument/mood in a sonnet)

it represents poetry's ability to be in continuous dialogue with itself, and to take readers on a nuanced, complex journey

Cacophony (harsh or unpleasant sound e.g. ‘cackle’)

makes the reader uncomfortable

Euphony (soft and pleasant sound e.g. ‘season’)

creates a tranquil mood