Poetry Elements

hexameter

6 feet-- to create structure

heptameter

7 feet-- to create structure

octameter

8 feet-- to create structure

feminine ending

a line that ends with an extra unstressed syllable-- to change rhythm and add emphasis

masculine ending

an extra stressed syllable at the end of a line-- to change rhythm and add emphasis

epic poem

a long poem that tells a story-- to establish a sense of grandeur

volta

the shift or point of dramatic change in a poem; this can be in the structure of the poem of a change in a character-- to change tone or meaning

heroic couplet

a pair of rhyming iambic pentameters-- to establish theme and to be a striking conclusion

foot

a metrical unit with both stressed and unstressed syllables-- to create structure

caesura

a strong pause within a line of a verse-- to add drama and mimic the subject

conceit

extended metaphor-- to add meaning and comparison

apostrophe

addressed to an absent or imaginary person-- to direct reader’s attention

free verse

poetry that does not have a regular meter or rhyme scheme-- to focus on other forms of structure and build emotion

blank verse

unrhymed iambic pentameter-- to give creative freedom and mimic natural speech

end-stopped line

a line that ends with a natural speech pause, usually punctuation-- to increase the feeling of regularity

enjambment

the continuation of a sentence without pause beyond the end of a line, couplet, or stanza--builds suspense

eye rhyme

the spelling of the words match, but the pronunciation is a half or slant rhyme-- to connect words and concepts

slant rhyme

not an exact rhyming sound-- to sound cohesive and create rhythm

paradox

a statement that seems contradictory but is actually true-- to create tension

rhyme royal

rhymes ababbcc; 7 line iambic pentameter stanza-- to add variety

Shakespearean sonnet

rhymes abab cdcd efef gg; a sonnet with 3 quatrains and a concluding couplet in iambic pentameter-- to create a sense of progression or a sense of oppposition

Petrachan/Italian Sonnet

a sonnet divided into an octave and a sestet. The octave rhymes abba abba. The sestet rhymes cde cde or cdc cdc-- to state a problem/question/emotional tension and then resolve it

Tercet

3 line stanza-- to enhance flow

terza rhyme (rima)

a three-lined stanza rhyming aba, bcb, cdc-- to create a sense of continuity and flow

villianelle

a 19 line poem with 5 tercets and a final quatrain-- to create melody and to create emotion and imagery

cacophony

a harsh, discordant mixture of sounds-- to mimic mood and energy

chiasmus

reversal of word order-- to maintain rhythm

elegy

a sad, mournful poem-- to express grief, sadness, and loss

aubade

a love poem set at dawn which bids farewell to the beloved-- to express frustration, sadness, and longing

spensarian sonnet rhyme scheme

a 9 line stanza, the first 8 are in iambic pentameter and the last is in iambic hexameter. Rhymes abab bcbc cdcd ee-- to combine elements of other sonnets in a smooth flow

ballad

a poem or song narrating a story in short stanzas-- to describe moments in an adventure

zuegma

a sentence where one word modifies/governs two or more words in different, incongruous ways-- to surprise, delight, or confuse the reader

anadopolis

the repetition of the last word/phrase from a previous line, clause, or sentence at the beginning of the next-- to connect concepts and themes and to create rhythm

rhythm

the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in a line-- creates tone and emotions

meter

the number of feet in a line-- creates structure and supports rhythm

scansion

describes the rhythms of poetry by dividing the lines into feet patterns, marking the locations of stressed and unstressed syllables, and counting the syllables-- to allow readers to note rhythmic elements and deviations to the rhythm

iambic

(u/) a foot that starts with an unstressed syllable and ends on a stressed syllable-- to maintain a pleasing rhythm

trochee

(/u) a foot that starts with a stressed syllable and ends on an unstressed syllable-- to hint at shift

anapest

(uu/) a foot with 2 unstressed syllables followed with a stressed syllable-- to create rhythm and tone

dactyl

(/uu) a foot with a stressed syllable followed by 2 unstressed syllables-- to create rhythm, tone, and emphasis

spondee

(//) a foot of 2 stressed syllables-- to change rhythm and create emphasis

pyrrhic

(uu) a foot with 2 unstressed syllables--to vary rhythm

monometer

one foot-- to create structure

dimeter

two feet-- to create structure

trimeter

three feet-- to create structure

tetrameter

four feet-- to create structure

pentameter

five feet-- to create structure

epizeuxis

repetition of words and phrases with no words in between-- to increase emphasis and vehemence

epistrophe

repetition of a word at the end of successive clause or sentences-- to create rhythm and direct focus

polysyndeton

deliberate use of multiple conjunctions-- to slow rhythm and add emphasis

asyndeton

omission of conjunctions between coordinate phrases, clauses, or words-- to speed rhythm and add emphasis

isocolon

parallel structure where the grammar and length match-- to compare and contrast two ideas

anastrophe

inversion of the natural order of words--to maintain rhythm and rhyme scheme

litotes

understatement where the point is made by denying its opposite--to emphasize meaning through implication

hypophora

asking and then answering a question--to create expectation