Poetry Vocab

Assonance

the repetition of vowel sounds in a line of poetry

Ballad

poem that tells a story and it is meant to be sung

blank verse

unrhymed iambic pentameter

caesura

a pause in a line of poetry

concrete poetry

type of poetry that uses a visual form to present message

consonance

the repetition of consonant sounds in a line of poetry

couplet

two lines that rhyme in a poem

elegy

poem that expresses sorrow usually for someone who has died

enjambment

the continuation of a line to the next verse

epigram

short poem that ridicules a thought or event

epic

long narrative poem about the adventures of a hero

epitaph

short poem written in memory of someone

free verse

poetry with no rhyme scheme

haiku

Japanese poetry usually about nature, has 3 lines and follows 5,7,5 pattern

“The bee flies quickly, it turns around and stings me, then falls to the ground”

limerick

humorous poem that has 5 lines and follows the aabba rhyme pattern

lyric poetry

song-like poem used to express emotions

narrative poetry

poetry that tells a story

Ode

lyric poem that expresses strong feelings or admiration for something or someone

refrain

repetition in literature of one or more lines

Edgar Allan Poe The Raven repetition of “Nevermore”

rhyme

the repetition of sounds in a poem

end/terminal rhymes

the fat cat, sat on a mat

eye rhymes

words that look like they rhyme but they do not, dog/fog

internal rhyme

rhyme found within line of poetry

slant rhyme

“chitter and chatter”

rhyme scheme

pattern of end rhyme used in a poem, “aabba”

stanza

grouping of two or more lines in a poem

three line stanza

triplet

four line stanza

quatrain

six line stanza

sextet

eight line stanza

octave

fourteen line stanza

sonnet