POETRY TERMS 1302

figurative language

all phrases or words that make comparisons

figure of speech

an individual phrase that makes a comparison

simile

a comparison that uses like or as

metaphor

a comparison that doesn’t use like or as

allusion

a reference to another literary work

alliteration

peter piper picked a peck - repetition of the first consonant sound

personification

when an inhuman thing takes on human-like characteristics

hyperbole

extreme exaggeration

pentameter

5 beats in a line of poetry; some balanced sonnets are written in this

sonnet

14 line poem - most sonnets are comprised of 3 quatrains and a couplet

shakespeare

a sonnet written in ABAB, CDCD, EFEF, GG is written in this poet’s style

stanza

a group of lines together in a poem

quatrain

four lines grouped together in a poem

couplet

two lines grouped together in a poem

symbol

when one thing represents something else in a poem

meter

the number of beats in a line of poetry; the rhythm

foot

one beat in a line of poetry

free verse

a poem with no rhythm scheme

blank verse

unrhymed iambic pentameter

rhyme

when the words at the end of a line of poetry sound alike

prose

all writing that is not poetry

poetry

writing in its most creative imaginative form

consonance

when there is similar consonant sounds in a line of poetry

assonance

when there is a similar vowel sounds in a line of poetry

onomatopoeia

when there is a word in a poem that sounds like what it does. ex. splash!

colloquial

conversational language in a poem

informal

when the language in the poem is everyday possibly using slang or cliches

formal

when the language in a poem is academic and eloquent

tone

the attitude of the poet

oxymoron

two opposite words together in a poem

paradox

two opposite ideas that somehow make sense in a poem

apostrophe

when a poet addresses something or someone that is not there to make a dramatic introduction

allegory

when every element in a poem or story including characters have symbolic meaning

connotation

when a meaning must be inferred by the reader

denotation

when the poet tells you exactly what he wants you to know

dialogue

conversation between people in a work

refrain

a repeating group of lines in a poem

dramatic monologue

a poem written in the form of a speech of an individual character; it compresses into a single vivid scene a narrative sense of the speaker's history and psychological insight into his character

narrative

a type of poem which tells a story

lyrical

to a short poem, often with songlike qualities, that expresses the speaker's personal emotions and feelings