Studied by 2 people
2025, Prospect HS
Epiphany
a revealing moment in which the speaker experiences a deep realization about themselves
Epistrophe
figure of repetition where a word or group of words is repeated at the end of successive lines
Epithet
A descriptive name or title
Euphemism
using a mild or gentle phrase instead of a blunt, embarrassing, or painful one
Euphony
smooth, pleasant sounding words that are pleasing to hear (roughly opp. of cacophony)
Feminine ending
an unstressed extra symbol at the end of a line of iambic pentameter
Fixed Form
a traditional pattern that applies to the whole poem (limerick, villanelles, sestinas, and many others)
Free Verse
poetry which is not written in a traditional meter but is still rhythmical
Heroic Couplet
a pair of lines in rhymed iambic pentameter used mostly by Old English poets
Hexameter
a line containing six feet
Hyperbole
a boldly exaggerated statement that adds emphasis without intending to be literally true
Imagery
representation through language of sense experience
Irony
a situation or a use of language involving some kind of incongruity or discrepancy
Litote
deliberate use of understatement made by using a double negative (you won’t not be sorry”
Masculine Ending
a stressed extra syllable at the end of a line of iambic pentameter
Metaphor
a fig of speech in which a direct comparison is made between two things essentially unlike
Meter
the measured arrangement of words in poetry, as by accented rhythm, syllabic quality, or the number of syllables in a line
Metonymy*
an attribute substantiated for something in terms of meaning; “suits” for business execs
Narrative poem
a poem that tells a story; has a regular rhyme scheme
Octave
an eight-line stanza
Ode*
a rapturous lyric poem written about a dignified, lofty subject
Onomatopeia
use of words that supposedly mimic their meaning in sound
Oxymoron
a compact paradox in which two successive words contradict each other
Paradox
a statement that initially appears to be contradictory but then, on closer inspection turns out to make sense
Pastoral
poem characterized by a setting in spring or summer in the country / nature
Note 
Flashcard (130)