AP Literature and Composition: Poetry Terminology

Alliteration

The repetition of the same beginning consonant sound in nearby words.

E.g., “Peter Piper Picked a Peck of Pickled Peppers.”

Allusion

A reference to a famous person, place, event, story, or work without explaining it.

E.g., Anakin Skywalker’s fall, and Lucifer’s fall from Heaven.

Anaphora

The repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of consecutive lines or sentences.

E.g., “We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields...”

Antithesis

Putting opposite ideas close together to emphasize their difference.

E.g., “To err is human; to forgive, divine.”

Apostrophe

Directly addressing someone or something that is not actually there or cannot respond, often an object, idea, abstract, or dead person.

E.g., "Death, be not proud, though some have called thee.”

Assonance

The repetition of vowel sounds in nearby words.

E.g., “The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain.”

Caesura

A pause in the middle of a line, often created by punctuation.

E.g., “To be, or not to be — that is the question.”

The em dash creates a pause.

Catalog

A long list of people, objects, places, ideas, or descriptions.

E.g., “And dost with poison, war, and sickness dwell,”

Conceit

An extended and unusual metaphor or comparison that continues throughout a poem or piece of writing.

Consonance

The repetition of consonant sounds, usually within or at the ends of words.

E.g., “The silken, sad, uncertain rustling of each purple curtain.”

Euphemism

A milder or less direct way of saying something unpleasant, embarrassing, or harsh.

E.g., Saying someone “passed away” instead of saying they “died.”

Hyperbole

A deliberate exaggeration that is not meant to be taken literally.

E.g., “I’ve told you a million times.”

Juxtaposition

Placing two contrasting things next to each other so their differences become more noticeable.

E.g., “Making a famine where abundance lies,”

Metaphor

Comparing two unlike things by saying one thing is another.

E.g., “All the world's a stage”

Metonymy

Replacing the name of something with the name of something closely associated with it.

E.g., “The crown announced a new law.” Where the crown represents a king or queen.

Onomatopoeia

A word that sounds like the sound it describes.

E.g., “Buzz,” “hiss,” “bang,” and “crash.”

Paradox

A statement that seems contradictory or impossible but reveals a deeper truth.

E.g., "And death shall be no more; Death, thou shalt die."

Parallelism

Using the same grammatical structure in two or more parts of a sentence or passage.

E.g., “I came, I saw, I conquered.” - Julius Caesar

Personification

Giving human qualities, actions, or emotions to something nonhuman.

E.g., “The wind whispered through the trees.”

Polyptoton

Repeating the same root word in different grammatical forms.

E.g., "Love is not love / Which alters when it alteration finds, / Or bends with the remover to remove."

Polysyndeton

Using many conjunctions (such as and, or, or but) where they are not necessary.

E.g., “We ate and drank and laughed and danced all night.” Repetition of “and”

Pun

A play on words that uses a word’s multiple meanings or similar-sounding words to create humor or another effect.

E.g., "Being but heavy, I will bear the light." Where bear” can mean to carry/preserve his memory, while also suggesting bearing a child

Simile

A comparison between two unlike things using “like” or “as.”

E.g., “Her smile was like sunshine.”

Synecdoche

When a part of something represents the whole, or sometimes the whole represents a part.

E.g., “All hands on deck.” Where hands refers to sailors.