Poetry Terms and Devices

Flashcards covering key poetry terms and devices for exam preparation.

What is repetition in poetry?

It is a sound, word, or phrase that is repeated for emphasis and unity.

What does alliteration involve?

The repetition of consonant sounds at the beginnings of words near enough for the echo to be discernible.

Define consonance.

The recurrence of sounds, especially consonant sounds, anywhere in a word near enough for the echo to be discernible.

What is assonance?

The repetition of vowel sounds near enough for the echo to be discernible.

What is rhyme in poetry?

The occurrence of similar or identical sounds, which can be classified into end rhyme and internal rhyme.

What is the difference between half rhyme and slant rhyme?

Half or slant rhyme is end rhyme that is not exact but approximate.

Define rhyme scheme.

A regular pattern of end rhyme in a poem.

What is rhythm or meter?

The pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in spoken or written language.

What is a couplet?

A rhymed pair of lines of the same length and meter.

Define metaphor.

A figure of speech that makes a comparison between two things that are basically unlike but have something in common without using 'like' or 'as'.

What is an extended metaphor?

A figure of speech that compares two essentially unlike things at some length and in several ways.

What is a simile?

A figure of speech that makes a comparison between two unlike things using the words 'like' or 'as'.

Explain personification.

A figure of speech in which human qualities are given to an animal, object, or idea.

Define hyperbole.

A figure of speech in which the truth is exaggerated for emphasis or humorous effect.

What is onomatopoeia?

A word that phonetically imitates the sound it describes.

What is allusion?

An implied or indirect reference to something else.

Define figurative language.

Language that communicates meanings beyond the literal meanings of words.

What is imagery in poetry?

Words and phrases that employ one or more of the five senses.

What is free verse?

Poetry that does not contain a regular pattern of rhythm or rhyme, capturing the rhythm of speech.

What is a stanza?

A group of two or more lines that form a unit in a poem, comparable to a paragraph in prose.

Define quatrain.

A four-line stanza.

What is concrete poetry?

A poem whose lines create recognizable shapes to create a picture related to the poem’s subject.

What is a speaker in poetry?

The poem’s voice.

What is a symbol?

Something that stands for or represents something else and derives its meaning from the context in which it appears.