Poetry- Literary Terms

Satire

is writing in which an author uses humor to ridicule or criticize certain individuals, institutions, types of behavior, or even humanity in general

Structure

is the way a poem is put together in words, lines, and stanzas

Meaning

is the central idea the poet wants to convey 

Apostrophe

literary device in which the speaker or narrator directly addresses a person or thing

Personification

figurative language in which a non-human subject is given human qualities

Meter

lines have a regular pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables

Foot

basic unit of meter, usually one stressed syllable and one or more unstressed syllables

Iamb

most common foot, one unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable 

Iambic pentameter

a line containing five iambs 

Pastorals

verse consisting of unrhymed lines of iambic pentameter 

Pastorals

poems that deal with rural settings

Speaker

the voice of the poem

Extended metaphor

is a comparison that is developed throughout the length of a poem

Metaphor

is an implied comparison between two seemingly dissimilar things used to make writing more vivid, and meaningful

Imagery

descriptive language that appeals to the senses