Alliteration
the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words
Figurative language
A form of language use in which writers and speakers convey something other than the literal meaning of their words.
Simile
A comparison using "like" or "as
Metaphor
A figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable.
Extended metaphor
A metaphor developed at great length, occurring frequently in or throughout a work.
Personification
A figure of speech in which an object or animal is given human feelings, thoughts, or attitudes
Hyperbole
A figure of speech that uses exaggeration to express strong emotion, make a point, or evoke humor
Imagery
Language that appeals to the senses
Sound devices
elements such as rhyme, rhythm, alliteration, and onomatopoeia - gives poetry a musical quality
Rhyme
Repetition of sounds at the end of words.
End rhyme
Rhyme that occurs at the end of two or more lines of poetry
Rhyme scheme
A regular pattern of rhyming words in a poem
Assonance
Repetition of a vowel sound within two or more words in close proximity
Consonance
Repetition of a consonant sound within two or more words in close proximity.
Onomatopoeia
A word that imitates the sound it represents
Slant rhyme
A rhyming sound that is not exact.
Rhythm
Pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables
Meter
A regular pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in a line of poetry
Iambic pentameter
A common meter in poetry consisting of an unrhymed line with five feet or accents, each foot containing an unaccented syllable and an accented syllable.
Foot
A unit of meter; can consist of two or three syllables; lines of poetry are classified according to the number of feet in a line
Line
A group of words together on one line of the poem.
Stanza
A group of lines in a poem.
Couplet
A pair of rhymed lines that may or may not constitute a separate stanza in a poem.
Quatrain
4 line stanza
Octave
8 line stanza
Sestet
6 line stanza
Tercet
3 line stanza
Cinquain
5 line stanza
Refrain
A line or set of lines repeated several times over the course of a poem.
Enjambment
A run-on line of poetry in which logical and grammatical sense carries over from one line into the next.
End-stopped
A line that ends with a natural speech pause, usually marked by punctuation
Form
Pattern or design of a poem
Free Verse
Poetry that does not have a regular meter or rhyme scheme
Blank Verse
Poetry written in unrhymed iambic pentameter
Lyric poetry
A short poem in which a single speaker expresses personal thoughts and feelings
Narrative poetry
A poem that tells a story
Ode
A lyric poem usually marked by serious, respectful, and exalted feelings toward the subject.
Ballad
A narrative poem written in four-line stanzas, characterized by swift action and narrated in a direct style.
Elegy
A lyric poem that laments the dead
Epic
A long narrative poem, written in heightened language, which recounts the deeds of a heroic character who embodies the values of a particular society
Sonnet
A lyric poem of 14 lines, commonly written in iambic pentameter and often
classified as Petrarchan or Shakespearean
Pastoral
A poem presenting shepherds in rural settings, usually in an idealized manner
Persona
An individual's characteristic pattern of thinking, feeling, and acting
Style
A basic and distinctive mode of expression.
Diction
A writer's or speaker's choice of words
Tone
A writer's attitude toward his or her subject matter revealed through diction, figurative language, and organization on the sentence and global levels.
Mood
How the reader feels about the text while reading.