irony
incongruity between what might be expected and what actually occurs
lyric poetry
a type of emotional songlike poetry, distinguished from dramatic and narrative poetry
lyricism
an artist's expression of emotion in an imaginative and beautiful way; the quality of being lyrical.
metaphor
a figure of speech in which a term or phrase is applied to something to which it is not literally applicable in order to suggest a resemblance
meter
the rhythm of a piece of poetry, determined by the number and length of feet in a line
narrative poem
a non-dramatic poem which tells a story or presents a narrative, whether simple or complex, long or short. Epics and ballads are examples of this type of poetry.
onomatopoeia
using words that imitate the sound they denote
paradox
1. a statement or proposition that, despite sound (or apparently sound) reasoning from acceptable premises, leads to a conclusion that seems senseless, logically unacceptable, or self-contradictory
2. a seemingly absurd or self-contradictory statement or
paraphrase
to restate in other words; a statement that presents a given idea in new language
personification
the attribution of a personal nature or human characteristics to something nonhuman, or the representation of an abstract quality in human form.
poetic device
A device used in poetry to manipulate the sound of words, sentences or lines.
poetic inversion
words arranged in such a way that they reverse in some manner the normal word order of a sentence. Often inversion is used for the sake of rhyming
quatrain
a stanza of four lines
refrain
The repetition of one or more phrases or lines at definite intervals in a poem, usually at the end of a stanza
rhyme
repetition of sounds at the end of words
rhyme scheme
the pattern of rhyme in a poem
sensory images
Words and phrases that create vivid sensory images for the reader that may be visual or appeal to the other four senses of smell, hearing, taste, touch
simile
a figure of speech that expresses a resemblance between things of different kinds (usually formed with 'like' or 'as')
sonnet
a short poem with fourteen lines, usually ten-syllable rhyming lines, divided into two, three, or four sections, usually with a fixed rhyming scheme
stanza
A group of consecutive lines in a poem that form a single unit; a division of a poem that is often referred to as a "paragraph of poetry
symbolism
the use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities
synecdoche
a figure of speech in which a part is made to represent the whole or vice versa, as in Cleveland won by six runs (meaning "Cleveland's baseball team").
tone
The attitude of the author toward the audience and characters (e.g., serious or humorous).
verse
1. writing arranged with a metrical rhythm, typically having a rhyme
2. a group of lines that form a unit in a poem or song; a stanza
alliteration
use of the same consonant at the beginning of each stressed syllable in a line of verse
allusion
a reference to something literary, mythological, or historical that the author assumes the reader will recognize
approximate rhyme
rhyme in which the final sounds of words are similar but not identical
assonance
the repetition of similar vowels in the stressed syllables of successive words (e.g., penitence, reticence)
ballad
a type of poem that is meant to be sung and is both lyric and narrative in nature
ballad stanza
A four-line stanza, known as a quatrain, consisting of alternating eight- and six-syllable lines. Usually only the second and fourth lines rhyme (an abcb pattern).
blank verse
unrhymed verse (usually in iambic pentameter)
connotation
implied or suggested meaning of a word because of its association in the reader's mind.
consonance
the repetition of consonants (or consonant patterns) especially at the ends of words
controlling metaphor
A metaphor that is central to and runs through an entire work.
couplet
a stanza consisting of two successive lines of verse (usually rhymes)
dead metaphor
a metaphor that has occurred so often that it has become a new meaning of the expression (e.g., 'he is a snake' may once have been a metaphor but after years of use it has died and become a new sense of the word 'snake')
denotation
the most direct or specific meaning of a word or expression ("dictionary definition") - absence of connotation
dramatic monologue
a poetic form in which a single character, addressing a silent auditor at a critical moment, reveals himself or herself and the dramatic situation
dramatic poem
1. A poem which employs a dramatic form or some element or elements of dramatic techniques as a means of achieving poetic ends
2. In other words: any poetry that uses the discourse of the characters involved to tell a story or portray a situation
elegy
a mournful poem
epic
a long narrative poem telling of a hero's deeds
exact rhyme
the rhyming sounds are identical
extended metaphor
A metaphor developed at great length, occurring frequently in or throughout a work; usually extends several lines or throughout the entire poem
figurative language
speech or writing that departs from literal meaning in order to achieve a special effect or meaning, speech or writing employing figures of speech
free verse
unrhymed verse without a consistent metrical pattern
hyperbole
extravagant exaggeration
iamb
a metrical foot in poetry that has an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable, as in the word protect
imagery
The use of language to evoke a picture or a concrete sensation of a person, thing, place, or experience
internal rhyme
a rhyme between words in the same line