Creative Composition 1 - Free Verse Flashcards

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering terms, definitions, and key figures related to free verse poetry and poetic devices from Week 9 Creative Composition 1 notes.

Free Verse

Poetry that rejects traditional rules like uniform rhyming or predictable meter patterns, where the poet invents a custom shape on the page based entirely on the emotional pulse of the subject matter.

Line Break

The point where one line ends and the next begins, chosen freely by the poet to control pacing, emphasis, rhythm, and meaning.

Enjambment

Running a sentence or phrase across a line break without any terminal punctuation (like a period or comma), pulling the reader quickly down to create tension or a sudden plot twist.

Caesura

A sharp, intentional pause or fracture right in the middle of a single line, usually marked by punctuation like an em-dash (-), colon (;), or period (.).

Walt Whitman

American poet known universally as the "Father of Free Verse" who revolutionized literature in 1855 by tossing out strict European rhyming constraints, electing instead to write lines that moved like natural human breath and ocean waves.

Bruce Lansky

The author of the poem "Today Is Your Luck", which demonstrates line breaks at the end of each line along with punctuation affect on reading.