Untitled Flashcard Set

Couplet

A poetic stanza consisting of two lines in the same meter, joined by rhyme, often used to provide closure.

Tercet

A poetic stanza of three lines, which can be rhymed or unrhymed, featured in structured forms like the Villanelle.

Quatrain

A poetic stanza of four rhymed lines, acting as foundational building blocks in ballads and sonnets.

Sestet

A poetic stanza of six lines, providing space for descriptive imagery or thematic shifts in poems.

Rhyme

The correspondence of sounds between words that creates links and structures within a poem.

Meter

The structured pattern of beats in a line of poetry, providing rhythm and mimicking natural speech.

Enjambment

The continuation of a sentence beyond the end of a line, speeding up pacing and linking thoughts.

Shakespearean Sonnet

A 14-line poem structured with three quatrains and a final couplet, following a strict ABAB CDCD EFEF GG rhyme scheme.

Iambic Pentameter

A metrical pattern of poetry consisting of five iambs (two-syllable units) per line, commonly used by Shakespeare.

Ballad

A series of rhyming quatrains designed to tell a story, typically using any rhyme scheme.

Free Verse

A poetic form with no consistent rhyme scheme or meter, allowing organic freedom in tone and structure.

Ghazal

A poetic form composed of 5 to 15 couplets, exploring themes of love or loss.

Elegy

A poem written in free verse that focuses on themes of death and mourning.

Ode

A poem of high praise written in free verse to honor a person, object, or concept.

Villanelle

A 19-line poem consisting of 5 tercets and a quatrain, with a strict ABA rhyme scheme.

Cinquain

A five-line unrhymed poem with a strict syllable count per line: 2, 4, 6, 8, 2.

Theme

A full sentence expressing a universal message or lesson about a topic.

Macbeth

The Scottish general and Thane of Glamis, known for his psychological and moral decline after succumbing to ambition.

Lady Macbeth

Macbeth's ambitious wife who manipulates him into committing murder but ultimately succumbs to guilt.

The Witches

Three characters who act as catalysts for Macbeth's crimes, using prophecies to manipulate him.

Banquo

A noble general and Macbeth's friend, representing the moral path not taken.

King Duncan

The virtuous King of Scotland whose murder symbolizes the destruction of order.

Macduff

A nobleman determined to overthrow Macbeth after he murders Macduff's family.

Malcolm

Duncan's son whose restoration to the throne represents the return of natural order.

Lady Macduff

Macduff's wife, representing domestic safety in contrast to the chaos of Macbeth's reign.

Macduff's Son

The young son of Macduff, murdered by Macbeth's assassins, symbolizing innocence lost.

Three Apparitions

Ghosts summoned by the witches to deceive Macbeth with ambiguous prophecies.

Fleance

Banquo's son who survives an assassination attempt, leaving open the possibility of fulfilling the witches' prophecy.