Poetry Poetic Devices and Terminology

Speaker The voice through which the poem is told, not necessarily the poet.

Form and Structure Lines-are what poems are written in and can vary in length. Stanzas-section of a poem which contains a group of lines, stanzas are separated by a space. Form-the way a poem’s lines and words are arranged on the page.

Form and Structure Free verse- poetry without a regular pattern of rhyme, rhythm, or meter. Lyric poem- melodic poem that expresses observations or feelings of a single speaker Narrative poem- poem that tells a story Syntax- grammatical arrangement of words and phrase Parallelism- the repetition of grammatical structure Anaphora- the repetition of word or phrases at the beginnings of successive clauses

Form and Structure Couplet- a pair lines that are similar in length and subject matter (Rhyming couplets have end rhyme) Quatrain- four line stanzas of any kind, rhymed, metered, or otherwise. Sestet- six line stanzas or the final six lines of a sonnet Enjambment- the running over of a sentence or thought from one line or verse to the next without punctuation

Tone and Diction Tone- the attitude of the speaker or writer toward the subject or audience Diction- the writer’s choice of words

Sound Devices Rhyme-is the repetition of sounds at the end of words. Rhyme Scheme- a pattern of end rhymes in a poem. Rhythm-the pattern of sound created by stressed and unstressed syllables in a line of poetry. Meter- a regular pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables, which can be repeated from line to line.

Sound Devices-Rhyme Internal rhyme- the use of rhyming words within a line. Example: “I knew a little girl who had a little curl.” End rhyme-the use of rhyming words at the end of lines. Example: “Twinkle, twinkle little star. How I wonder where you are.”

Sound Devices-Slant Rhyme Slant rhyme (near-rhyme, half, rhyme, off- rhyme, imperfect rhyme)- when the final consonant sounds in two words are the same, but their preceding vowel sounds are different Example: pick/pack, lad/lids, born/barn, road/rid

Sound Devices Refrain- phrases, or lines used more than once in a poem. Example: “My beautiful Annabel Lee.” Alliteration- repeating of consonant sounds at the beginning of words. Example: “Shimmy Sham Sham the Showboat man Shifted his show with Shenanigans.”

Sound Devices Onomatopoeia- using words that sound like what they mean. Example: “The tuba went umpa-pa.”

Sound Devices Assonance- repetition of the same or similar vow sounds followed by different consonant sounds in accented syllables Example: “that hoard, and sleep, and feed, and know not me.”

Sound Devices Consonance- repetition of the same or similar consonant sounds in close proximity Ex: A blessing in disguise (notice the repeated “s” sound)

Poetic Devices Imagery- words or phrases that appeal to the five senses. Example: “A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling my beautiful Annabel Lee.”

Figurative Language Simile- comparison of two unlike things with common qualities using comparative words such as like, as, than, resembles Example: “Without you, I am like a wave without a shore.”

Figurative Language Metaphor- comparison of two unlike things with common qualities, not using comparative words Direct- states one thing is another Implied- suggests that one thing is the other Example: “The cloud is a white marshmallow.”

Figurative Language Extended metaphor- an author uses the same metaphor over several lines or an entire poem Well, son, I'll tell you: Life for me ain't been no crystal stair. It's had tacks in it, And splinters, And boards torn up, And places with no carpet on the floor— Bare. But all the time I'se been a-climbin' on, And reachin' landin's, And turnin' corners, --from “Mother to Son” by Langston Hughes

Figurative Language Personification- describing an animal or object as if it were human or had human qualities. Example: “The dish ran away with the spoon.”

Figurative Language Symbol- a person, place, object, or action that stands for something beyond itself. Example: “I’d rather be a tall ugly weed that stands alone than a flower that is handled and picked.”

Figurative Language Hyperbole- using exaggeration to make a point. Example: “The stale cookie is as hard as a rock.”