Poetry terms

Poetry

a type of literature that uses the sounds, rhythms, and meanings of words to describe the world in striking and imaginative ways.

Lines

individual lines in the poem

stanzas

in many poems, lines are organized in units of meaning, similar to paragraphs. The lines organized this way work together to express one key idea.

stanza break

a blank line between stanzas

rhythm

the poem's beat

rhyme

repetition of vowel and consonant sounds at the ends of words

rhyme scheme

rhymes that follow a particular pattern. It is indicated by using a different letter for each rhyme sound: (abcdefg..)

alliteration

the repetition of consonant sounds in the beginning of words: "slippery slope"

repetition

the use of any element of language (a sound, word, or phrase) more than once

onomatopoeia

the use of words that imitate sounds: "splat, hiss, gurgle"

denotation

the literal, dictionary definition of a word (example: canine = dog)

connotation

the ideas and feelings that the word brings to mind (example: mongrel = mean, ugly mixed-breed dog)

imagery

descriptions that appeal to the five senses (helps poets convey what they see, hear, smell, taste, or touch)

figurative language

language that is not meant to be taken literally

simile

uses the word "like" or "as" to compare two seemingly unlike things (example: His hands were as cold as steel.)

metaphor

describes one thing as if it were something else (example: My chores were a mountain waiting to be climbed.)

personification

gives human qualities to a nonhuman subject (example: The fingertips of the rain tapped a steady beat on the windowpane.)

Tone

The poet's attitude toward a subject

Mood

How the reader feels while reading a poem

Speaker

The imaginary voice or character that narrates the poem (not the same as the poet)

couplet

Two rhymed lines that convey a complete thought.

theme

the lesson or message of a story

analogy

A comparison between two different things that highlights some form of similarity (synonyms, antonyms, part to whole, whole to part).

Example) fail : succeed :: quit : persevere

sensory language

Words that appeal to the senses and evoke imagery, helping readers experience what they are reading more vividly.

perspective

The viewpoint or angle from which a story is told, influencing how events and characters are perceived.