AP Literature Poetry Terms

allegory

story or poem that can be used to reveal a hidden meaning

anaphora

repetition in first part of a sentence , to have an artistic meaning

Enjambment

continuation of one line of a poem to the next without pause

apostrophe

figure of speech used to address an imaginary character

aside

when a character's dialogue is spoken but not heard by other actors on the stage

assonance

repetition of vowel sounds

caesura

pause in the middle of a line

ode

a lyric poem that celebrates something

Shakespearean sonnet

a 14 line poem with a rhyme scheme of ababcdcdefefgg

Spenserian sonnet

a 14 line poem with a rhyme scheme of ababbcbccdcdee

Italian sonnet

a 14 line poem that includes an octave and a sestet

Octave

the first 8 lines of an Italian sonnet

sestet

the last 6 lines of a traditional Italian sonnet

couplet

two rhyming lines in a verse

didactic writing

writing with a primary purpose to teach or preach

free verse

Poetry that does not have a regular meter or rhyme scheme

internal rhyme

A word inside a line rhymes with another word on the same line

italian sonnet

A sonnet consisting of an octave with the rhyme pattern abbaabba, followed by a sestet with the rhyme pattern cdecde or cdcdcd

meter

A regular pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in a line of poetry

metonymy

A figure of speech in which something is referred to by using the name of something that is associated with it

ex: the crown is allowed to make the decision.

onomatopoeia

A word that imitates the sound it represents.

hyperbole

A figure of speech that uses exaggeration to express strong emotion, make a point, or evoke humor

oxymoron

A figure of speech that combines opposite or contradictory terms in a brief phrase.

paradox

A seeming contradiction

satire

A literary work that criticizes human misconduct and ridicules vices, stupidities, and follies.

soliloquy

A long speech expressing the thoughts of a character alone on stage

synecdoche

a figure of speech in which a part is made to represent the whole or vice versa

ex: His new wheels were enviable.

anastrophe

the inversion of the usual word order

ex: In the night sky shimmered the moon.

anthropomorphism

type of personification which actually makes inanimate objects seem human

ex: the raging storm brought with it howling winds.

asyndeton

a list in which conjunctions are purposely left out.

ex: Read, write, learn

polysyndeton

use of conjunctions frequently in a sentence.

ex: here and there and everywhere

chiasmus

two phrases that are parallel but inverted.

ex: you can take the patriot out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the patriot