AP Lit - Poetry and Style Terms

Colloquial Language

Slang; vernacular

Connotation

An implied meaning of a word; the emotional or cultural association a word carries beyond its literal meaning

Consonance

Repetition of the same consonant sound, but with different vowels following the consonant; flash / flesh

Denotation

The literal meaning of a word

Diction

Deliberate word choice that separates poetry from prose and create meaning

Dramatic Monologue

Where a single speaker addresses at length an audience or internal listener

Epigram

A saying or remark expressing an idea in a clever/amusing way

Eulogy

A speech/writing in praise of someone/thing, especially someone who recently passed away

Form (poetic)

Various set of rules followed by poems of certain types

Haiku

17 syllables in 3 lines; follows 5-7-5 formula

Ode

A serious and dignified poem expressing praise

Parallel Structure

Grammatical/structural similarity between sentences or parts of a sentence

Rhyme

Correspondence of sound between words or the endings of words

Rhyme Scheme

The pattern of rhymes at the end of each line of a poem or song

Sensory Details

Details that are experienced through the senses

Soliloquy

A character talking to himself and is unaware of any present listeners; used in drama to allow the audience insight into a character’s inner feelings

Sonnet

A 14 line peom that follows strict rhyme scheme and meter, using iambic pentameter; abab cdcd efef gg

Style

The manner in which ideas are expressed; characterizing features of a writer

Syntax

The ordering of words into meaningful verbal patterns, such as phrases, clauses, and sentences

Villanelle

19 line poetic form consisting of 5 3-line stanzas and a 4 line stanza, using only 2 rhymes