Poetic Techniques

Definitions of various poetic techniques and structures that come in handy when analysing poems.

elements of a poem that tell the reader about the person behind the poem

Voice

using language to create a vivid image in audience’s mind

Imagery

use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities

Symbolism

general attitude or character of a piece

Tone

structure of language; particular order in which words and phrases are arranged in a sentence

Syntax

audible pattern in verse established by the intervals between stressed syllables

Rhythm

use of the same word, letter, phrase, number of syllables etc. multiple times

Repetition

basic rhythmic structure of a verse or lines in a verse

Metre

repetition of sounds/similar sounds in the final syllable of a line

Rhyme

art of deciding where each line of a poem ends

Lineation

group of lines within a poem, usually set apart from others by a blank line or indentation

Stanza

expressive poetry that conveys the personal emotions, thoughts, or reflections of a speaker

Lyric Poetry

adopts the voice of a fictional speaker distinct from the poet

Dramatic Poetry

speaker reveals their character through their speech

Dramatic Monologue

a poem written about a work of art

Ekphrastic Poem

14-line lyric poem

Sonnet

divides 14-lines into two sections: eight-line stanza rhyming ABBAABBA and a six-line stanza rhyming CDCDCD or CDECDE

Petrarchan Sonnet; Italian Sonnet

repeated sequence of rhythm comprised of two or more stressed and unstressed syllables

Poetic Foot

metrical foot having two (2) syllables: first unstressed, or ‘weak’, and the second stressed

Iambic/Iambs

four (4) feet made up of eight (8) syllables

Tetrameter

five (5) feet made up of ten (10) syllables

Pentameter

equal stress on each word

Spondee

a pause in the middle of a line that punctuates the poem’s emotional logic

Caesura

rhetorical device that consists of repeating a sequence of words at the beginnings of neighbouring clauses, leading to emphasis

Anaphora

incomplete syntax at the end of a line; meaning the line ‘runs over’ or ‘steps over’ from one poetic line to the next, without punctuation

Enjambment

Alliteration

repetition of the beginning sound in two (2) or more words placed near one another

Antimetabole

words of the first clause are reversed in the second clause

Assonance

repetition of the vowels in words that are near each other used to create a certain atmosphere or mood

Ballad

poems that tell a story and traditionally written as a quatrain (four lines) with a strict rhyme scheme and metre

Cacophony

combination of harsh, chaotic, and/or discordant sounds

Chiasmus

structure of one (1) clause is reversed in the following clause; the idea of both clauses must be related to each other

Confessional Poetry

poetry that reflects the poet’s psyche and experiences through controlled rhythm, metre, visual images, and symbols

Couplet

two lines of poetry that rhyme with each other

Euphony

words that work together to create a harmonious and pleasing sound

Free Verse

poetry with no rules

Mood

atmosphere of the poem

Onomatopoeia

words that imitate the sound made from an object, animal, human, or thing

Round

cyclical poems; the first and last line of the poem hold the same abstract idea

Villanelles

19-line poems that are constructed of five (5) stanzas following ABA rhyme scheme and one (1) stanza of ABAA