APLIT Sonnet Vocab

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Petrarchan Sonnet

A 14-line poem divided into an octave (eight lines) with an ABBAABBA rhyme scheme and a sestet (six lines) with varying rhyme schemes (e.g., CDCDCD or CDECDE). It often features a shift in thought called the volta between the octave and sestet.

Spenserian Sonnet

A 14-line sonnet similar to the Shakespearean form but with a linked rhyme scheme: ABABBCBCCDCDEE.

Trimeter

A line of poetry with three metrical feet.

Shakespearean Sonnet

A 14-line poem with a structure of three quatrains (four-line stanzas) and a final couplet (two-line stanza), following the rhyme scheme ABABCDCDEFEFGG.

Pentameter

5

Dimeter

2

Hexameter

6

Tetrameter

4

Octameter

8

Heptameter

7

Trochee

A metrical foot with a stressed syllable followed by an unstressed syllable (DUM-da). Example: Tiger, tiger, burning bright.

Iamb

A metrical foot with an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable (da-DUM). Example: To be or not to be.

Anapest

A metrical foot with two unstressed syllables followed by a stressed syllable (da-da-DUM). Example: In the blink of an eye.

Spondee

A metrical foot with two stressed syllables (DUM-DUM). Example: Heartbreak, sunshine

Dactyl

A metrical foot with one stressed syllable followed by two unstressed syllables (DUM-da-da). Example: Happily.

Pyrrhic

A metrical foot consisting of two unstressed syllables (da-da). Example: In a soft voice.

Quatrain

A stanza of four lines, often with alternating rhymes. It is commonly used in poetry.

Octave

A stanza of eight lines, typically used in sonnets and other poetic forms.

Sestet

A stanza of six lines, often used in sonnets and other forms of poetry.

Couplet

A stanza of two lines, usually with rhyming lines that share the same meter.

Iambic Pentameter

A metrical line in poetry consisting of five feet, each foot containing an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable.

Slant Rhyme

A type of rhyme in which the sounds are similar but not identical, often creating a subtle effect in poetry.

End Rhyme

A rhyme that occurs at the end of lines in poetry, creating a pleasing sound pattern and enhancing the poem's musicality.

Internal Rhyme

A rhyme that occurs within a single line of poetry, adding to the rhythm and sound of the poem.

Eye Rhyme

A type of rhyme where the words look similar in spelling but do not sound alike when pronounced, often creating an unexpected effect in poetry.

Rhyme Scheme

The pattern of rhymes in a poem, marked with letters (e.g., ABAB).

Scansion

The process of analyzing the meter of a poem by marking stressed and unstressed syllables.

Prosody

The study of rhythm, meter, and intonation in poetry.

Volta

The shift in thought or argument in a sonnet, typically occurring in the ninth line of a Petrarchan sonnet or before the final couplet in a Shakespearean sonnet.

Blank Verse

Unrhymed poetry written in iambic pentameter. Common in Shakespearean drama.

Free Verse

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

Enjambment

When a line of poetry continues into the next without a pause or punctuation. Example:
The sun sets beyond the hills
And paints the sky in gold.

Caesura

A pause within a line of poetry, often marked by punctuation. Example: To be, or not to be—that is the question.

Alliteration

The repetition of initial consonant sounds in words close together (e.g., Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers).

Catalexis

The omission of a syllable in a metrical line, often at the end.

Poetry

A form of literature that uses aesthetic and rhythmic qualities of language to evoke meaning.

Fixed/Closed Form

Poetry that follows a strict structure, such as sonnets or haikus.

Auditor

The implied listener or audience within a poem.

Stanza

A grouped set of lines in a poem, often separated by a space.

Verse

A single line of poetry or a piece written in poetic form.

Line

A single row of words in a poem.

Metrical/Poetic Foot

The basic unit of rhythm in poetry, consisting of a combination of stressed and unstressed syllables.