AP Lit. Poetry Terms

alliteration

The repetition of two or more consonant sounds at the beginnings of words in successive words in a line of verse or prose, as in “Lurk late” or “Jazz June.”

assonance

The repetition of identical vowel sounds in different words in close proximity, as in the “deep green sea.”

cacophony

A harsh, discordant sound often mirroring the meaning of the context in which it is used. As in: “...this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt, and ominous bird of yore.”

caesura

The pauses (marked by a comma, semicolon, period, etc) separating words and phrases within lines of poetry. As in:

“We real cool. We

Left school. We…”

consonance

The repetition of identical consonant sounds within or at the end of different words in close proximity. “And this maiden she lived with no other thought/Than to love and be loved by me.”

end-stopped line

A poetic line ending in a full pause, usually marked by a period.

enjambment

A run-on line of poetry in which logical and grammatical sense carries over from one line into the next. (see “We Real Cool,” above).

euphony

Meaning “good sound,” this term refers to word groups that permit an easy and pleasant flow of spoken sound. “So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see, / So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.”

free verse/open verse

Poetry based on the natural rhythms of phrases and normal pauses, not metrical feet.

onomatopoeia

literary device that attempts to represent a thing or action by the word that imitates the sound associated with it. As in: “crash, bang, pitter-patter.

slant rhyme (imperfect rhyme)

Words that sound similar but do not rhyme perfectly. The words “worm” and “swarm” sound similar, but they do not rhyme. The words “fate” and “save” sound similar, but again, they do not rhyme.

stanza

a division of a poem consisting of a series of lines arranged together in a usually recurring pattern:

We real cool. We

Left school. We

Lurk late. We

Strike straight. We

Sing sin. We

Thin gin. We

Jazz June. We

Die soon.

apostrophe

The addressing of a discourse to a real or imagined person who is not present; also, a speech to an abstraction

blank verse

Lines of unrhymed iambic pentameter.

closed form

Poetry written in specific and traditional patterns produced through control of rhyme, meter, line length and line groupings.

epic

A long narrative poem elevating character, speech and action.

epigram

A short and witty poem, often in couplets, that makes a satiric point.

foot

In meter, a poetic section consisting of a measured combination of heavy and light stresses, separated by a backslash.

iamb, or iambic meter

A two-syllable foot consisting of a light stress followed by a heavy stress.

quatrain

A four-line stanza or poetic unit.

stress

The emphasis given to a syllable, either strong or light.

trochee (or trochaic meter)

A two-syllable foot consisting of a heavy stress followed by a light stress

heroic couplet

Two consecutive lines of rhyming iambic pentameter