Poetry Terms

1
Poetry Terms
2
StanzaA poetry paragraph
3
Diction

• The authors choice of words

4
Free VersePoetry with no set meter (rhythm)
or rhyme scheme.
5
EpicA long poem narrating the adventures of a
heroic figuree.g. Homers The Odyssey.
6
ElegyA poem mourning the dead.
7
LyricA type of poetry that expresses the
poets emotions. It often tells some sort of
brief story, engaging the reader in the
experience. Songs are often lyric poems!
8
Myth A legend that embodies the beliefs of
people and offers some explanation for natural
and social phenomena.
9
End rhymeRhyming words that are at the ends of
their respective lineswhat we typically think of
as normal rhyme.
10
Internal rhymeA rhyme that occurs within one
line such as Hes King of the Swing.
11
CoupletsA pair of rhyming lines in a poem
often set off from the rest of the poem.
Shakespeares sonnets all end in couplets.
12
AlliterationThe repetition of sounds in a
group of words as in Peter Piper Picked a Peck
of Pickled Peppers.
13
AllusionA reference to a person, place, or
thing--often literary, mythological, or
historical. The infinitive of allusion is to
allude. e.g. Romeo alludes to the mythological
figure Diana in the balcony scene.
14
AssonanceThe repetition of vowel sounds as in
And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the
sideOf my darling, my darling, my life and my
bride. --Edgar Allan Poe, Annabel Lee
15
Consonance The repetition of consonant sounds
as in The fair breeze blew, the white foam
flew, The furrow followed free --The Rime of
the Ancient Mariner
16
Figurative Language Whenever you describe
something by comparing it with something else,
you are using 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. e.g. Whenever you
call something cool, youre not talking about
its temperature but referring to some other
quality it possesses.
17
ImageryThe use of description that helps the
reader imagine how something looks, sounds,
feels, smells, or tastes. Most of the time, it
refers to appearance.
18
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.
19
MoodThe feeling created in the reader by a
literary work or passage. 
20
ToneThe authors attitude toward the subject
of the work. Usually positive or negative.e.g.
The tone of a piece of literature could be
pessimistic, optimistic, angry, or sarcastic.
21
Onomatopoeia The use of words that sound like
what they mean such as buzz, bang, or
tic-tock.
22
Personification Giving inanimate objects human
characteristics. e.g. The wind howled through
the night.
23
Quatrain A four-line stanza.
24
SimileComparing two unlike things using like
or as. e.g. Im as hungry as a pig, or
Your eyes are like stars that brighten my
night.
25
Symbolism The use of one thing to represent
another. Something that stands for something
else. e.g. A dove is a symbol of peace.
26
ThemeThe central idea of a work.
27
VoiceThe authorial presence in a piece of
literature whether in the first, second, or third
person.