ELA Romeo and Juliet

Shakespearean Sonnet

A 14-line poem written in iambic pentameter with the rhyme scheme ABAB CDCD EFEF GG, often ending with a couplet that delivers a twist or conclusion.

Quatrain

A stanza or poem consisting of four lines, often with a specific rhyme scheme.

Couplet

Two consecutive lines of poetry that rhyme and usually share the same meter.

Alliteration

The repetition of initial consonant sounds in closely placed words (e.g., “wild and woolly”).

Imagery

Language that appeals to the five senses (sight, sound, smell, taste, touch) to create vivid mental pictures.

Simile

A comparison using “like” or “as”

Metaphor

A direct comparison between two unlike things without using “like” or “as” (e.g., “Time is a thief”).

Oxymoron

A figure of speech that combines contradictory terms (e.g., “deafening silence”).

Paradox

A statement that appears self-contradictory but reveals a deeper truth (e.g., “Less is more”).

Hyperbole

Deliberate exaggeration for emphasis or effect (e.g., “I’ve told you a million times”).

Personification

Giving human qualities to nonhuman things (e.g., “The wind whispered”).

Apostrophe

Addressing an absent person, abstract idea, or inanimate object as if it could respond.

Soliloquy

A speech in which a character speaks their thoughts aloud, usually alone on stage, revealing inner feelings.

Aside

A brief remark spoken by a character that is heard by the audience but not by other characters.

Ethos

An appeal to credibility or character—convincing the audience that the speaker is trustworthy.

Pathos

An appeal to emotion, aiming to evoke feelings like pity, fear, or sympathy.

Logos

An appeal to logic or reason, using facts, evidence, or rational arguments.