AP Lit Terms List 4

Ars Poetica

A poem about poetry, examining the role of poets, poets’ relationships to the poem, and the act of writing

Ballad

Plot-driven poem (or song) with one or more characters and often constructed in quatrain stanzas.

Carpe Diem

The term "carpe diem" is used to describe a genre of poetry that seeks to "seize the day' to live as well as possible. The fleeting nature of life and love are often at the forefront of these carpe diem works.

Closed Form Poetry

Poetry that sticks to predictable patterns and structures

Elegy

Form of poetry in which the poet or speaker expresses grief, sadness, or loss

Free Verse

Poems that do not have any organizational patterns are written in free verse

Limmerick

Limericks are funny (and sometimes rude!) poems. They have a set rhyme scheme of AABBA, with lines one, two and five all being longer in length than lines three and four. The last line is often the punchline

Lyric Poetry

A short poem, often with songlike qualities, that expresses the speaker's personal emotions and feelings. Lyric describes a broad category of non-narrative poetry, including elegies, odes, and sonnets.

Metaphysical Poetry

Metaphysical poetry (at its peak during the seventeenth century in England) is marked by the use of elaborate figurative language, original conceits, paradoxes, and philosophical topics. Major Metaphysical Poets included John Donne and Andrew Marvell

Ode

An ode is a short lyric poem that praises an individual, an idea, or an event. Odes are often ceremonial, and formal in tone. The term "ode" describes any outpouring of praise, and modern ode poems have evolved to include various styles and forms

Sonnet

This very old form of poetry was made famous by none other than William Shakespeare, but the sonnet actually originated in 13th century Italy where it was perfected by the poet Petrarch.
Traditionally, sonnets are made up of 14 lines and usually deal with love. As a rule, Petrarchan (Italian) sonnets follow an ABBA ABBA CDE CDE rhyme scheme, whereas Shakespearean (English) sonnets are typically ABAB CDCD EFEF GG

Villanelle

The villanelle is a very old form of poetry that came from France. It is made up of 19 lines; five stanzas of three lines (tercet) each and a final stanza of four lines (quatrain). As you can see from the rhyme scheme; ABA ABA ABA ABA ABA ABAA, this type of poem only has two rhyming sounds. Line one will be repeated in lines six, 12 and 18; and line three will be repeated in lines nine, 15 and 19