english poetry flashcards

Meter

The regular pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in poetry, organized into repeating units called feet.

Metaphor

A figure of speech that directly compares two unlike things by stating one thing is another.

Allusion

An indirect reference to a well-known person, event, myth, or literary work the reader is expected to recognize.

Simile

A comparison between two unlike things using the words like or as.

Symbol

A concrete object, image, or action that represents an abstract idea or deeper meaning.

Euphony

Pleasant, smooth sound created by soft consonants and long vowel sounds.

Alliteration

The repetition of beginning consonant sounds in nearby words.

Assonance

The repetition of vowel sounds within nearby words to create internal rhyme.

Cacophony

Harsh, jarring sound created by strong consonants for effect.

Rhyme Scheme

The pattern of end rhymes in a poem labeled with letters such as ABAB or AABB.

Sonnet

A 14-line poem traditionally written in iambic pentameter with a fixed rhyme scheme.

Sestina

A 39-line poem that repeats six end words in a strict rotating pattern across six stanzas and a final envoy.

Free Verse

Poetry that does not follow regular meter or rhyme but still uses rhythm and imagery.

Figurative Language

Language that goes beyond literal meaning to create imagery or deeper understanding.

Lyric Poem

A short poem expressing personal emotions, thoughts, or feelings.

Blank Verse

Unrhymed poetry written in iambic pentameter.

Limerick

A humorous five-line poem with an AABBA rhyme scheme and strong rhythm.

Trochee

A metrical foot consisting of a stressed syllable followed by an unstressed syllable (DUM-da).

Iamb

A metrical foot consisting of an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable (da-DUM).

Dactyl

A metrical foot consisting of one stressed syllable followed by two unstressed syllables (DUM-da-da).

Anapest

A metrical foot consisting of two unstressed syllables followed by one stressed syllable (da-da-DUM).

Ballad

A narrative poem that tells a story, often written in quatrains with alternating rhyme.

Unmetered Rhyme

Poetry in which lines rhyme but do not follow a consistent rhythmic meter.

Scansion

The process of marking stressed and unstressed syllables to analyze meter.

Onomatopoeia

Words that imitate natural sounds such as buzz, crash, or hiss.

Consonance

The repetition of consonant sounds within or at the end of nearby words.

Personification

Giving human traits, emotions, or actions to animals, objects, or ideas.

Shakespearean Sonnet

A 14-line sonnet with rhyme scheme ABAB CDCD EFEF GG ending in a rhyming couplet.

Petrarchan Sonnet

A sonnet divided into an octave (ABBAABBA) and a sestet that resolves the poem’s idea.

Villanelle

A 19-line poem with five tercets and a quatrain featuring repeated lines and a strict rhyme scheme.

Couplet

Two consecutive lines of poetry that usually rhyme and form a complete thought.

Tercet

A stanza consisting of three lines of poetry.

Quatrain

A stanza consisting of four lines of poetry.

Cinquain

A five-line poem with a fixed syllable pattern often 2-4-6-8-2.

Tanka

A Japanese poem with five lines following a 5-7-5-7-7 syllable pattern.

Haiku

A three-line Japanese poem with a 5-7-5 syllable pattern usually about nature.