English - Unit 1 Poetry Vocab

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allusion

a reference in a work of literature to something outside the work, especially to a well-known historical or literary event, person, or work

blank verse

poetry written without rhyme, especially that which uses iambic pentameter

meter, no rhyme

devices of sound

the techniques of deploying the sound of words, especially in poetry. Among devices of sound are **rhyme**, **alliteration**, **assonance**, **consonance**, and **onomatopoeia**: used to create a general effect of pleasant or of discordant sound, imitate another sound, reflect a meaning

diction

the use of words in a literary work

formal: level of usage common in serious books and formal discourse

informal: level of usage found in relaxed but polite conversation of cultivated people

colloquial: the everyday usage of a group, possibly including terms and constructions accepted in that group but not universally acceptable

slang: a group of newly coined words which are not acceptable for formal usage as yet

enjambment

continuation of the sense and grammatical construction from one line of poetry to the next

extended metaphor

an implied analogy, or comparison, which is carried throughout a stanza or an entire poem. In “The Bait,” John Donne compares a beautiful woman to fish bait and men to fish who want to be caught by the woman.

tenor

the subject of comparison

vehicle

the element used for comparison (this is the piece that carries the data)

figurative language

writing that uses figures of speech (as opposed to literal language or that which is actual or specifically denoted) such as **metaphor**, **irony**, and **simile**. Figurative language uses words to mean something other than their literal meaning.

free verse

poetry which is not written in a traditional meter

rhythmical

may or may not rhyme

Walt Whitman

hyperbole

deliberate, extravagant, and often outrageous exaggeration. It may be used for either serious or comic effect.

imagery

the images of a literary work; the sensory details of a work; the visual auditory, or tactile images evoked by the words of a literary work or the images that figurative language evokes. Some diction is also imagery

juxtaposition

two contrasting things or ideas placed together for contrasting effect.

lyric verse

strong rhythm, meter, rhyme

song like qualities that express the speakers personal emotions and feelings

meter

basic rhythmic structure of a line

creates rhythm: gen mood, tone, emotion, dram effect

**number** of syllables & **pattern** of emphasis on syllables

metonymy

a figure of speech which is characterized by the substitution of a term naming an object closely associated with the word in mind for the word itself. For example, one may speak of the king as the “crown,” an object closely associated with kingship. 

oxymoron

form of paradox that combines a pair of contrary terms into a single expression. This combination usually serves the purpose of shocking the reader into awareness. Examples: “wise fool,” “sad joy,” and “eloquent silence.” 

paradox

situation or action or feeling that appears to be contradictory but on inspection turns out to be true or at least to make sense.

parallelism

similar grammatical structure within a line or lines of poetry.

repetition

repeating words, phrases, lines, or stanzas. emphasize a feeling or idea, create rhythm, and/or develop a sense of urgency.

rhyme

similarity or identity of sound between syllables occupying corresponding positions in two or more lines of verse.

**end:** occurs at the end of corresponding lines of verse

**internal:** occurs within a single line of verse

**slant:** rhyme formed by words with similar but not identical sound

**eye**: two words are spelled similarly but pronounced differently

rhythm

recurrence of stressed and unstressed syllables, presence of rhythmic patterns lends both enjoyment and heightened emotional response to the listener or reader

stanza

usually a repeated grouping of three or more lines with the same meter and rhyme scheme

symbol

something that is simultaneously itself and a sign of something else. For example: winter, darkness, and cold are real things, but in literature they are also likely to be used as symbols of death

syntax

ordering of words into patterns or sentences or lines of poetry.

theme

main thought expressed by a work. In poetry, it is the abstract concept which is made concrete through its representation in person, action, and image in the work.

tone

manner in which an author expresses his or her attitude, described by adjectives, tone may change from stanza to stanza or even line to line, result of allusion, diction, figurative language, imagery, irony, symbol, syntax, and style

iambic pentameter

5 iambs per line: 10 syllables per line

Shakespeare

open simile

the reader brings their own meaning to the text

comparison is **implicit**

closed simile

the comparison is **explicitly** mentioned

the more closed, the less room for misinterpretation