Poetry Terms
Alliteration: The repetition of sounds in a group of words as in “Peter Piper Picked a Peck of Pickled Peppers.”
Allusion: A reference to a person, place, or thing--often literary, mythological, or historical. The infinitive of allusion is to allude. Ex- Romeo alludes to the mythological figure Diana in the balcony scene.
Ballad Stories told in song; typical of medieval period -has characters, setting, and dialogue -4 line stanzas -narrates a single tragic accident
Blank verse Unrhymed lines of poetry usually in iambic pentameter Blank verse Unrhymed lines of poetry usually in iambic pentameter. Plenty of modern poetry is written in blank verse.
Connotation the associated or secondary meaning of a word or expression in addition to its explicit or primary meaning: connotation of “home” is a place of warmth comfort, and affection
Denotation the explicit or direct meaning of a word or expression
Diction 1)Word choice. 2) The author’s choice of words. An author has the option of choosing any word from our language, why does he/she choose to use certain words and not others? In order to create a certain tone.
Figurative Language: Any language that goes beyond the literal meaning of words in order to furnish new effects or fresh insights into an idea or a subject. Figures of speech: simile, metaphor, personification. e.g. Whenever you call something “cool,” you’re not talking about its temperature but referring to some other quality it possesses.
Free Verse: Poetry with no set meter (rhythm) or rhyme scheme.
Imagery The use of description that helps the reader imagine how something looks, sounds, feels, smells, or tastes. Most of the time, it refers to appearance. Ex.-“Tita was so sensitive to onions, any time they were being chopped, they say she would just cry and cry; when she was still in my great-grandmother’s belly her sobs were so loud that even Nacha, the cook, who was half-deaf, could hear them easily.” --Like Water for Chocolate
Lyric Poetry A type of poetry that expresses the poet’s emotions Lyric Poetry A type of poetry that expresses the poet’s emotions. It often tells some sort of brief story, engaging the reader in the experience.
Metaphor A comparison of two unlike things using any form of the verb “to be”–-i.e. am, are, is, was, were. Ex: “This chair is a rock,” or “I am an island.”
Implied Metaphor Implied metaphors are those metaphors which are not clearly stated. For instance, if a writer wants to compare a car to a tiger, he could say 'the Jaguar crouched at the curb, growling, waiting to pounce on the unsuspecting yellow cab.'
Meter: The pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in the lines of a poem.
Onomatopoeia The use of words that sound like what they mean such as “buzz,” “bang,” or “tic-tock.”
Personification Giving inanimate objects human characteristics Personification Giving inanimate objects human characteristics. Ex-“The wind howled through the night.”
Rhyme a word agreeing with another in sound Example: Find is a rhyme for mind and womankind.
End rhyme Rhyming words that are at the ends of their respective lines—what we typically think of as normal rhyme.
Internal rhyme When two words rhyme within the same line Example Jack and Jill went up the hill To fetch a pail of water; Jack fell down and broke his crown, And Jill came tumbling after.
Rhythm The pattern of stressed and unstressed in each line -Like the beat in music
Simile Comparing two unlike things using “like” or “as Simile Comparing two unlike things using “like” or “as.” Ex-“I’m as hungry as a pig,” or “Your eyes are like stars that brighten my night.”
Stanza A major subdivision in a poem Stanza A major subdivision in a poem. A stanza of two lines is called a couplet; a stanza of three lines is called a tercet; a stanza of four lines is called a quatrain.
Tone The author’s attitude toward the subject of the work Tone The author’s attitude toward the subject of the work. Usually positive or negative. Ex-The tone of a piece of literature could be pessimistic, optimistic, angry, or sarcastic.