accent
placement of stress on certain syllables
ambiguity
multiplicity of meanings
anapest
two unaccented syllables followed by an accented syllable
anaphora
repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of 2+ sentences in a row
antithesis
balance of parallel word groups conveying opposite ideas
apostrophe
a direct address to an object, an animal, an idea or an absent person as if they are capable of hearing it
assonance
repetition of similar nearby vowel sounds
ballad
usually simple narrative poem that accounts an exciting/dramatic episode and usually meant to be sung
ballad stanza
quatrain (4 lines) in which the 1st and 3rd lines have 4 stressed syllables, the 2nd and 4th lines have 3 stressed syllables and only the 2nd and 4th lines rhyme
blank verse
lines written in unrhymed iambic pentameter
caesura
pronounced pause in a line of poetry (usually near the middle)
canto
section or division of a long poem
carpe diem
seize the day" or "make the most of youth while you can
conceit
an elaborate or farfetched metaphor or simile
concrete verse
poems shaped like a specific object
connotation
all the suggested meanings and associations that a word brings to mind beyond its denotation (dictionary definition)
consonance
repetition of consonant sounds at the end of words or stressed syllables in order to create near rhyme
couplet
a 2-lined stanza, poem or poetic saying
dactyl
1 accented syllable followed by 2 unaccented syllables
didactic
literature with a moral dilemma
diphthong
2 syllables that are counted and pronounced as 1, used to make words fit metrical requirements
dirge
lyric verse that is a short funeral lament
doggerel
verse made comic because irregular metrics are made regular by stressing normally unstressed syllables
dramatic monologue
dramatic poem in which a single character makes an extended speech revealing his/her psychology at a significant moment
dramatic poetry
poetry that reveals character through speech and that consists entirely of monologue/dialogue
elegy
formal lyric poem, usually a meditation on death or some other very solemn occassion
elision
omission (usually of a vowel or unstressed syllable), i.e. o'er (for over), th' (the)
enjambment
poetic sentence which goes into the next line or verse with no end stop in between lines
epic
extended narrative poem, written in an elevated style, recounting the deeds of a legendary or actual hero
extended metaphor
comparison that runs throughout a work or large part of it
foot
basic unit of meter in poetry
free verse
poetry without rhyme or meter
iamb
poetic foot consisting of an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable
iambic pentameter
meter in which the predominant foot is the iamb and there are 5 feet in a line (10 syllables)
inversion
variation of the normal word order which puts a modifier or the verb as first in the sentence
kenning
metaphorical compound in Anglo-Saxon or Germanic verse (i.e. "whale road" for ocean)
litotes
form of understatement in which an affirmation is made by means of negation
lyric poetry
short, melodic, imaginative poetry (i.e. sonnet, ode)
macaronic verse
verse containing words resembling a foreign language or mixture of languages
madrigal
lyric poem designed to be sung without instruments
metaphysical conceit
often startling and elaborate comparison between apparently dissimilar things
meter
rhythmically arranged patterns of stressed and unstressed syllables
metonymy
figure of speech in which a word naming something closely associated with a word is substituted for the word itself (i.e. crown for king)
octave
8-line poem or stanza
ode
a long lyric poem, serious in subject, formal in style and complex in form
off-rhyme
occurs when sounds are almost the same but not exact
paradox
statement that seems to contradict itself but is actually true
parallelism
use of repeated structures in nearby phrases, clauses, sentences or lines of poetry
parody
piece of writing that imitates a piece of writing and makes it seem amusing
pastoral
work that depicts simple pleasure in rural life
pentameter
metrical line consisting of 5 feet
phyrric
2 unstressed syllables
prosody
study of versification (including meter, rhyme and stanza formation)
quatrain
4-line stanza
refrain
one or more lines repeated at intervals (usually at the end of a stanza)
rhyme scheme
sequence or pattern sounds
rhythm
regulated, patterned recurrence of specific kinds of sounds
rhythmic pattern
patterns established by accent or syllable count
scansion
means of studying the elements by which the poet has handled his/her rhythmical effects
sestet
6-line poem or stanza
sonnet
14-line poem having a regular rhythm and pattern or rhyme
spondee
metrical foot consisting of 2 accented syllables
stanza
one of the divisions of a poem, usually composed of 2+ lines
synecdoche
form of metaphor in which a part signifies the whole or vice versa (i.e. hand in marriage)
synesthesia
figure of speech that takes 1 of the 5 senses and creates a picture/image of senstation
tercet
3-line poem or stanza that rhymes
tetrameter
metrical line consisting of 4 feet
tone
manner of expression