Poetry and Drama - Literary Terms

Alliteration

Repetition of beginning consonant sounds in nearby words.

Example: 'She sells seashells by the seashore.'

Allusion

A reference to a famous person, event, or work.

Example: 'He’s a real Romeo with the ladies.'

Anaphora

Repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of sentences or lines.

Example: 'It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…'

Apostrophe

When a speaker talks to someone absent, dead, or not human.

Example: 'O Death, where is thy sting?'

Aside

A character speaks directly to the audience without others hearing.

Example: In many Shakespearean plays, a character often comments to the audience about the actions occurring on stage.

Assonance

Repetition of vowel sounds in nearby words.

Example: 'The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain.'

Blank Verse

Poetry written in unrhymed iambic pentameter.

Example: The works of Shakespeare often feature blank verse.

Comic Relief

A funny scene used to lighten a serious moment.

Example: The grave digger scene in 'Hamlet' provides comic relief.

Conceit

An extended and unusual comparison between two things.

Example: 'Love is like an oil change.'

Connotation

The emotional or cultural meaning attached to a word.

Example: The word 'home' connotes warmth and security.

Consonance

Repetition of consonant sounds within or at the end of words.

Example: 'Pitter-patter' or 'The lumpy, bumpy road.'

Denotation

The literal dictionary meaning of a word.

Example: 'Home' denotes a place where one lives.

Dialogue

A conversation between characters.

Example: Conversations in plays or novels.

Diction

The author’s word choice.

Example: The word choices in 'The Great Gatsby' reflect its 1920s setting.

Dramatic Irony

When the audience knows something the characters do not.

Example: In 'Romeo and Juliet', the audience knows Juliet is alive but Romeo does not.

End Rhyme

Rhyming words that appear at the ends of lines.

Example: 'See that tree, up in the sky, the sun is shining bright and high.'

End-Stopped Line

A poetic line that ends with a pause or punctuation.

Example: 'The woods are lovely, dark and deep.'

Enjambment

When a sentence continues onto the next poetic line without pause.

Example: 'I think that I shall never see / A poem lovely as a tree.'

Epilogue

A short speech at the end of a play that explains what happens later.

Example: The ending of 'The Tempest' where Prospero speaks to the audience.

Foil

A character who contrasts another character.

Example: Laertes as a foil to Hamlet.

Foot

The basic rhythmic unit in poetry.

Example: An iamb (unstressed-stressed) is a common foot in poetry.

Foreshadowing

Hints about events that will happen later.

Example: In 'Macbeth', the witches' prophecies foreshadow his downfall.

Heroic Couplet

Two rhyming lines written in iambic pentameter.

Example: 'But, for the children, I’ll have to be stronger, / To keep them safe, I’ll fight a little longer.'

Hubris

Excessive pride that leads to a character’s downfall.

Example: A common trait in classical tragic heroes.

Hyperbole

Extreme exaggeration for effect.

Example: 'I’m so hungry I could eat a horse.'

Iambic Pentameter

A poetic line with ten syllables following an unstressed-stressed pattern.

Example: 'Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?'

Imagery

Language that appeals to the senses.

Example: 'The red, ripe apple glistened in the sun.'

Line

A single row of words in a poem.

Example: Each line in a sonnet contributes to its overall meaning.

Metaphor

A direct comparison saying one thing is another.

Example: 'Time is a thief.'

Meter

The rhythmic pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in poetry.

Example: Shakespeare’s plays are often written in blank verse, which has a consistent meter.

Metonymy

Replacing a word with something closely related to it.

Example: 'The White House issued a statement.'

Monologue

A long speech by one character to others.

Example: Hamlet’s soliloquy 'To be, or not to be.'

Motif

A repeated idea, image, or element in a story.

Example: The motif of darkness in 'Romeo and Juliet'.

Octave

The first eight lines of a sonnet, usually presenting a problem.

Example: The octave of a Petrarchan sonnet sets up the argument.

Onomatopoeia

Words that imitate natural sounds.

Example: 'Buzz', 'sizzle', and 'pop' are all onomatopoeic words.

Oxymoron

Two opposite words placed together.

Example: 'Bittersweet' or 'deafening silence.'

Paradox

A statement that seems contradictory but reveals truth.

Example: 'Less is more.'

Personification

Giving human qualities to nonhuman things.

Example: 'The wind whispered through the trees.'

Pun

A play on words using multiple meanings.

Example: 'Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana.'

Quatrain

A four-line stanza in poetry.

Example: Many sonnets are made up of quatrains.

Rhyme

Words that share similar ending sounds.

Example: 'Cat' and 'hat' rhyme with each other.

Rhyme Scheme

The pattern of rhyming lines in a poem.

Example: The rhyme scheme of a Shakespearean sonnet is ABABCDCDEFEFGG.

Sestet

The final six lines of a Petrarchan sonnet, often giving resolution.

Example: The sestet often resolves the problem set up in the octave.

Simile

A comparison using 'like' or 'as.'

Example: 'Her smile was like sunshine.'

Soliloquy

A speech where a character speaks thoughts alone on stage.

Example: 'To be, or not to be; that is the question.'

English (Shakespearean) Sonnet

A 14-line poem with three quatrains and a rhyming couplet.

Example: 'Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?'

Italian (Petrarchan) Sonnet

A 14-line poem with an octave and sestet.

Example: Many sonnets by Petrarch follow this structure.

Stanza

A group of lines in a poem, like a paragraph.

Example: A stanza can vary in number of lines, commonly four.

Symbol

An object that represents a deeper meaning.

Example: A dove often symbolizes peace.

Synecdoche

Using a part to represent the whole.

Example: 'All hands on deck' uses 'hands' to refer to sailors.

Theme

The main message or lesson of a work.

Example: The theme of love and sacrifice is prevalent in 'Romeo and Juliet'.

Tone

The author’s attitude toward the subject.

Example: The tone of 'The Great Gatsby' can be described as nostalgic and critical.

Tragedy

A serious story where the main character falls due to flaws or fate.

Example: 'Macbeth' is a tragedy that showcases the protagonist's downfall.

Understatement

Making something seem less important than it is.

Example: 'It’s just a scratch' when referring to a large dent in a car.

Verbal Irony

Saying the opposite of what is meant.

Example: Saying 'Oh, great!' when something bad happens.