1. Poetic
Techniques

2. Line Poetic TECHNIQUES
DEFINITION: basic structural component of a poem. Literally, a row of words that ends somewhere.

3. Stanza Poetic TECHNIQUES
DEFINITION: a formal division of lines in a poem that is considered as a unit. Separated by spaces. Like prose paragraphs, only for poetry. Conveys a single idea.

4. Types of Stanzas Poetic TECHNIQUES Couplet Triplet (tercet) Quatrain
Quintet (cinquain)
Sestet (sextet)
Septet (heptastich)
Octave =
2-line stanza
3-line stanza
4-line stanza
5-line stanza
6-line stanza
7-line stanza
8-line stanza

5. Meter Poetic TECHNIQUES
DEFINITION: the rhythmical pattern of the poem. Determined by the number of stresses or beats in each line.

6. Foot Poetic TECHNIQUES
DEFINITION: a basic unit of a meter. Normally contains either two or three syllables with varying patterns of stress.

7. Types of Meter Poetic TECHNIQUES monometer dimeter trimeter tetrameter
pentameter
hexameter
heptameter
octometer =
1 foot per line
2 feet per line
3 feet per line
4 feet per line
5 feet per line
6 feet per line
7 feet per line
8 feet per line

8. Now practice them aloud…
Poetic TECHNIQUES
Now practice them aloud…
monometer
dimeter
trimeter
tetrameter
pentameter
hexameter
heptameter
octometer =
mon – ah – meh – ter
dih – meh – ter
trih – meh – ter
teh – tra – meh – ter
pen – ta – meh – ter
hex – a – meh – ter
hept – a – meh – ter
oct – ah – meh – ter

9. Types of Feet Poetic TECHNIQUES ˘ / / ˘ ˘ ˘ / / ˘ ˘ before listen
iambic –
trochaic –
anapestic –
dactylic –
unstressed, stressed
˘ /
stressed, unstressed
/ ˘
unstressed, unstressed, stressed
˘ ˘ /
stressed, unstressed, unstressed
/ ˘ ˘
˘ /
/ ˘
˘ ˘ /
/ ˘ ˘
before
listen
in a jiff
run in a
[iambic]
[trochaic]
[anapestic]
[dactylic]

10. Shakespearean Sonnet Type of foot = iambic Type of meter = pentameter
˘ /
Two households, both alike in DIGNITY
(In fair Verona, where we lay our SCENE),
˘ /
˘ /
˘ /
˘ / A B
˘ /
˘ /
˘ /
˘ /
˘ /
Type of foot =
iambic
Type of meter =
pentameter

11. Limerick Type of foot = anapestic Type of meter = trimeter ˘ /
˘ /
There once was an ape in a zoo
Who looked out through the bars and saw YOU!
Do you think that it’s fair
˘ ˘ /
˘ ˘ / A B
˘ ˘ /
˘ ˘ /
˘ ˘ /
˘ ˘ /
˘ ˘ /
Type of foot =
anapestic
Type of meter =
trimeter

12. by Timothy Steele Type of foot = trochaic Type of meter = tetrameter
First come I; my name is Jowett.
There’s no knowledge but I know it.
/ ˘
/ ˘
/ ˘
/ ˘ A
/ ˘
/ ˘
/ ˘
/ ˘
Type of foot =
trochaic
Type of meter =
tetrameter

13. Types of Rhymes Poetic TECHNIQUES End/Audible – Visual –
Near/Incomplete –
Internal –
words at the ends of lines rhyme
words look like they should rhyme
(see assonance & alliteration)
words inside the line rhyme with words at the end of the line

14. Rhyme Scheme Poetic TECHNIQUES
DEFINITION: a regular pattern of rhyming words in a poem. Each new rhyme is assigned the next letter of the alphabet, while repeat sounds get whatever letter they were first assigned.

15. What’s the rhyme scheme?
From “Fireflies” by Owl City
You would not believe your eyes
If ten million fireflies
Lit up the world as I fell asleep
Cause they fill the open air
And leave teardrops everywhere
You'd think me rude, but I
Would just stand and stare.
I'd like to make myself believe
That planet Earth turns slowly.
It's hard to say that I'd
Rather stay awake when I'm asleep,
Cause everything is never as it seems. A A B C C A C B B A B B

16. Alliteration Poetic TECHNIQUES
DEFINITION: the repetition of initial consonant sounds. Writers use alliteration to draw attention to certain words or ideas, to imitate sounds, and to create musical effects.

17. Alliteration Paul McCann’s “Dewdrops Dancing Down Daisies”
Don't delay dawns disarming display.
Dusk demands daylight.
Dewdrops dwell delicately
drawing dazzling delight.
Dewdrops dilute daisies domain.
Distinguished debutantes. Diamonds defray delivered
daylights distilled daisy dance.

18. Assonance Poetic TECHNIQUES
DEFINITION: the effect created when words with the same vowel sound are used in close proximity, but where the consonant sounds in these words are different.

19. Consonance Poetic TECHNIQUES
DEFINITION: the effect created when words with the same consonant sound are used in close proximity, but where the vowel sounds in these words are different.

20. Assonance alliteration Cormac McCarthy’s Outer Dark
And stepping softly with her air of blooded ruin about the glade in a frail agony of grace she trailed her rags through dust and ashes, circling the dead fire, the charred billets and chalk bones, the little calcined ribcage.
alliteration

21. Free Verse Poetic TECHNIQUES
DEFINITION: poetry not written in a regular, rhythmical pattern, or meter. The poet is free to write lines of any length or with any number of stresses, or beats. Free verse is therefore less constraining than metrical verse, in which every line must have a certain length and a certain number of stresses.

22. Blank Verse Poetic TECHNIQUES
DEFINITION: Poetry without a rhyme scheme, but it has meter of some kind.

23. Blank verse From william shakespeare’s Julius caesar FLAVIUS
Hence! home, you idle creatures get you home:
Is this a holiday? what! know you not,
Being mechanical, you ought not walk
Upon a labouring day without the sign
Of your profession? Speak, what trade art thou?
First Commoner
Why, sir, a carpenter.
MARULLUS
Where is thy leather apron and thy rule?
What dost thou with thy best apparel on?
You, sir, what trade are you?
Second Commoner
Truly, sir, in respect of a fine workman, I am but,
as you would say, a cobbler.
From william shakespeare’s
Julius caesar

24. Refrain Poetic TECHNIQUES
DEFINITION: a regularly repeated line or group of lines in a poem or a song