Literary Genre: Poetry

Verse

A single line of a poem

Stanza

A grouped set of lines in a poem

Example:

Couplet (two-line stanza)

Tercet: 3-line stanza

Quatrain: 4-line stanza

Cinquain: (5-line) stanza

Sestet: (6-line) stanza

Rhyme

Words that have the same sound

Rhythm

The beat and pace of a poem

Meter

The number and pattern of emphasis on syllables in a line of poetry

Example:

Spondaic (stressed, stressed)

Trochaic (stressed, unstressed)

Iambic (unstressed, stressed)

Anapestic (unstressed, unstressed, stressed)

Dactylic (stressed unstressed unstressed)

Feet

A specific number of syllables in a line of poetry

A repeated sequence of syllables. The length of feet in a line of poetry is notated in Greek suffixes

Example:

Mononeter (one foot)

Dimeter: two feet

Trimeter: three feet

Latetrameter: four feet

Pentameter: 5 feet

Hexameter: 6 feet

Heptameter: 7 feet

Fotómetro: 8 feet

Limerick

A numerous verse of three long and two short lines rhyming (aabba)

Sonnet

A poem of 14 lines using any number of formal rhyme schemes

Epic

A long narrative that focuses on the trials and tribulations of a hero or god-like character who represents the cultural values of a race, nation, or religious group.

Ballad

A narrative poem comprised of quatrains

Haiku

A Japanese poem consisting of 3 lines and 17 syllables

Elegy

Song or poem written to reflect upon a death. It uses elegiac couplets written in honor of someone deceased.

Villanelle

A nineteen-line poem with two repeating rhymes and two refrains

Free verse

A poem that lacks a consistent rhyme scheme or metrical pattern

Blank Verse

A poem written in a specific meter, written in iambic pentameter that doesn’t rhyme

Allusion

• biblical

• Literary

• Historical

An indirect reference to a well-known person, place, or thing from the past

Example: I had no idea my off-handed statement would open Pandora’s box.

Metaphor

Direct comparison of two unlike things

Simile

Comparing 2 unlike things using “like” or “as”

Personification

Giving human characteristics to a non-human

Onomatopoeia

A word that imitates sounds

Idiom

A common saying that is specific to a language

Idiom

A common saying that is specific to a language

Hyperbole

An exaggeration for effect (it’s opposite is an understatement)

Ex: I must’ve answered a thousand calls today

Oxymoron

When two contradictory words are put together

Situational Irony

An unexpected turn of events

Example: a police station getting robbed

Verbal Irony

A figure of speech when the speaker says something he or she means as the opposite; sometimes sarcastically. Verbal irony differs from situational irony.

Example: responding, “That’s a terrific plan!” When someone suggests something outrageous like jumping off a cliff.

Analyzing poetry

Consider the following elements:

• theme. What’s the overall meaning of the poem?

• Speaker: who is the narrator?

• Language: what can be derived from the poets word choice and literary devices

• Meter, rhyme, and rhythm: what is the beat of the poem?

• Structure: how are the lines and stanzas organized?

• Context: when and where was the poem written? What was happening at the time and place?