Poetry

Allegory

A poem or story with a hidden meaning, usually moral, political, or religious.

Alliteration

The repetition of the same consonant sound at the beginning of words in close succession.

Allusion

A reference to a well-known person, event, or literary work.

Assonance

The repetition of vowel sounds in nearby words.

Asyndeton

The omission of conjunctions between words or phrases for effect.

Blank Verse

Unrhymed iambic pentameter, often used in Shakespearean plays and poetry.

Conceit

An extended, elaborate metaphor that draws an unusual comparison between two things.

Connotation

The emotional or cultural meaning associated with a word beyond its literal definition.

Denotation

The literal, dictionary definition of a word.

Diction

A poet’s word choice, which affects the tone and style of the poem.

Dramatic Irony

When the audience knows something that the characters do not.

English Sonnet Rhyme Scheme

The rhyme scheme ABABCDCDEFEFGG, also known as the Shakespearean sonnet form.

Enjambment

When a line of poetry continues onto the next line without a pause.

Epanalepsis

Repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning and end of a line or sentence.

Extended Metaphor

A metaphor that continues throughout a poem or a long section of it.

Flashback

A sudden shift to an earlier time in a narrative to provide background information.

Hyperbole

An extreme exaggeration for emphasis.

Imagery

Descriptive language that appeals to the senses (sight, sound, taste, touch, smell).

Inversion

Reversing the normal word order in a sentence for poetic effect.

Metaphor

A direct comparison between two unrelated things.

Metonymy

A figure of speech where something is referred to by something closely associated with it.

Onomatopoeia

A word that imitates a sound.

Oxymoron

A combination of contradictory words.

Personification

Giving human qualities to non-human things.

Refrain

A repeated line or phrase in a poem, like a chorus in a song.

Rhetorical Question

A question asked for effect, not meant to be answered.

Scansion

The analysis of a poem’s meter by marking stressed and unstressed syllables.

Simile

A comparison using 'like' or 'as'.

Symbol

An object, person, or event that represents a deeper meaning.

Synecdoche

A figure of speech where a part represents the whole.

Theme

The central message or underlying idea in a poem.

Tone

The poet’s attitude toward the subject, which can be serious, humorous, melancholic, etc.

Understatement (Litotes)

A figure of speech that downplays something for effect.

Verbal Irony

When someone says one thing but means the opposite.