Lit. & Comp. 8: Poetry Quiz

Stanza

Several lines of poetry grouped together, with white space above and below. It is the basic unit of a poem, and is similar to a paragraph in fiction or a verse in a song.

Refrain

a line or stanza that is repeated in a regular pattern (in songs, called a chorus)

Couplet

Two lines of poetry that stand alone or apart from the rest of the poem. Often these two lines will rhyme and have the same meter, but not always.

Quatrain

a four-line stanza, usually with alternating rhyming lines

Free verse

This type of poetry is free-form, and doesn’t stick to a particular structure or rhythm. It does not have regular rhymes, and the lines may be of different lengths and have different patterns of stressed and unstressed syllables.

Narrative poem

This kind of poem tell a story, much like a novel does. Their structures vary greatly, but every narrative poem has to have some form of plot and characters. Often these poems are long, and the many possible varieties include epics and ballads.

Blank verse

This is a form of poetry that does not rhyme, but has a regular meter. Each line has the same (or close to the same) rhythm of stressed and unstressed syllables and words. A popular meter used for this form is iambic pentameter.

Lyric poem

This type of poetry is intended to express the emotions of the author, often these lyrics are set to music.

Onomatopoeia

A word that sounds like what it represents. Words for animal sounds, such as “meow” and “oink,” and words like “pop” and “click” that sound like the noise they are naming.

Consonance

Similar to alliteration, because it involves the same consonant being repeated several times close together. However, this time the consonant doesn’t have to always be at the beginning of the word. (For example: “She sells seashells by the seashore.”)

Repetition

When a word or phrase is repeated in order to emphasize a certain idea or image. Repetition may help give structure to a poem, the same way the repeated chorus in a song gives it structure.

Imagery

Descriptive language that creates pictures in the reader’s mind is known as imagery. Certain words and comparisons are used to help the reader ‘see’ what’s going on and evoke a certain mood or emotion.

Alliteration

When several words that start with the same consonant are placed close together. (For example: “Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.”)

Rhyme vs Slant Rhyme

A full rhyme will end in exactly the same sound. (Ex. the words “summer” and “bummer” both have the same “u” sound and ending “mer” sound.)

A slant rhyme is just slightly off from a tre rhyme: the sounds are not identical, but they are close. (Ex. “summer” and “over” are slant rhymes.)

Personification

When an object or animal is given human qualities. The poem may

Metaphor/Simile

A comparison between two unlike things. A simile uses like or as to make the comparison. A metaphor is a stronger connection, indicating this IS that, instead of this is LIKE that.