Poetry terms

acrostic poem

A form of poem in which the first syllables of each line spell out a word, name, or phrase

alliteration

repeating the consonant sounds at the beginnings of nearby words; ex, my Puppy makes Pizza

assonance

repeating the vowel sounds in the stressed, or accented syllables in nearby words

bio poem

a simple poem written about a person

concrete poem

A poem in which the meaning is conveyed by the placement and design of the words on the page instead of, or in addition to, the usual arrangement of words

consonance

the repetition of consonant sounds within nearby word, especially the consonant sounds at the ends of words; ex, a stroKe of luCK

diamante poem

an unrhymed seven- line poem

end stop

rhyming words at the ends of lines of a poem

enjambment

when a phrase, clause, or sentence in a line of poetry doesn’t finish at the line of poetry doesn’t finish at the line break but spills over into the next line

figurative language

words or phrases that are meaningful, but not literally true

haiku

a short, unrhymed Japanese poetic form with three lines of five syllables, seven syllables, and five syllables

hyperbole

a extreme and obvious exaggeration, not mean’t to be believed or taken literally; ex, he has million-dollar hair

internal rhyme

rhymes within a line of poetry

limerick

a humorous 5-line poetic form with an AABBA rhyme scheme

lyric poem

poems that have a musical rhythm

metaphor

a figure of speech, where a thing is described as being something else in order to suggest a similarity between the two; ex, nature wore its robe

mood

the general feeling or atmosphere

narrative poem

a poem that tells a story. Narrative poems usually have a plot and one or more characters

ode

a poem meant to be sung

onomatopoeia

a word whose sound is similar to the thing or action it refers to; ex, buzz or hiss

personification

giving human characteristics to non-human things such as animals, inanimate objects, or ideas

Poetic image (or imagery)

language and poetic techniques used to appeal to the readers senses to create mental pictures and cause emotions in the reader

recipe poem

a poem that uses a word and gives the “ingredients” and directions it takes to make or achieve the words meaning

Rhyme

having the same sound at the end of two or more words; ex, pine/fine

rhythm

the sound and feel created by the pattern of accented and unaccented syllables, usually repeated in a poem

rhyme scheme

the pattern of end rhymes in a poem, written out a letters, such as AABB or ABAB

simile

a comparison between two unlike things usually using “like” or “as”; ex, his imagination was like a bird in flight

slant rhyme

a type of rhyme with words that have similar, but not identical sounds; ex, buzz, slither, drip

stanza

a group of lines in a poem, separated by space from other stanzas, much like a paragraph in prose

symbolism

a person, object, place, event, or action that suggests more than it literal meaning

verse

a collection of metrical lines of poetry, used to define the difference of poetry