English poetry terms

Alliteration

The repetition of the same beginning sound in words close together.

End Rhyme

Rhyming words that appear at the end of lines in a poem.

Free Form (Free Verse)

Poetry that does not follow a specific rhyme scheme or meter.

Internal Rhyme

Rhyming words within the same line of poetry.

Off-Rhyme (Slant Rhyme)

Words that almost rhyme but not perfectly.

Repetition

Repeating words or phrases to emphasize an idea or feeling.

Sound

The use of sound devices (like rhyme, alliteration, or onomatopoeia) to enhance meaning.

Trimeter

A line of poetry with three feet or 6 syllables .

Allusion

A reference to a famous person, place, event, book, or myth.

End-Stop

A line of poetry that ends with punctuation (period, comma, question mark).

Heptameter

A line of poetry with seven feet or 14 syllables.

Metaphor

A comparison between two unlike things without using 'like' or 'as.'

Onomatopoeia

Words that imitate sounds.

Rhyme

Words that have the same or similar ending sounds.

Stanza

A group of lines in a poem (like a paragraph in writing).

Assonance

The repetition of vowel sounds in words close together.

Fixed Form

Poetry that follows specific rules for structure, rhyme, and meter (like sonnets).

Hexameter

A line of poetry with six feet or 12 syllables.

Meter

The rhythm pattern of how many syllables are in a poem.

Pentameter

A line of poetry with five feet or 10 syllables.

Rhythm

The beat or flow of a poem created by meter and word choice.

Symbol

Something that represents a bigger idea.

Couplet

Two lines of poetry that usually rhyme and go together.

Foot

A unit of meter made up of syllables divided by 2

Hyperbole

Extreme exaggeration for emphasis.

Monometer

A line of poetry with one foot or 2 syllables

Personification

Giving human qualities to nonhuman things.

Run-On Line (Enjambment)

A line that continues onto the next line without punctuation.

Tercet

A stanza with three lines.

Dimeter

A line of poetry with two feet or 4 syllables.

Form

The overall structure of a poem (how it's organized).

Image

A word or phrase that creates a picture in the reader's mind.

Imagery

Descriptive language that appeals to the senses (sight, sound, smell, taste, touch).

Octameter

A line of poetry with eight feet or 16 syllables.

Quatrain

A stanza with four lines.

Simile

A comparison using 'like' or 'as.'

Tetrameter

A line of poetry with four feet or 8 syllables.