assonance
is the agreement of vowel sounds when the endings differ.
ballad
is a song-like poem that tells a story, often dealing with adventure and romance.
blank verse
is poetry written in unrhymed iambic pentameter lines
canto
is a division of a long poem, comparable to chapters in a book.
consonance:
is the agreement of ending consonant sounds when the vowels differ (live-dove)
free verse
is poetry not written in a regular rhythmical pattern or meter.
lyric poetry
a short poem of personal feelings and emotions, which may or may not be set to music and often, involves the use of regular meter
meter
the measured, patterned arrangement of syllables according to stress and length in a poem
ode
is a lyrical poem that treats a serious subject thoughtfully and emotionally and which is marked by a dignified style and a complex metrical pattern; it is usually a tribute to a person or thing.
refrain
a regularly repeated line or group of line in a poem or song.
rhyme
is the repetition of sounds at the end of words. Poets use rhyme to create musical effects, and to emphasize and to link certain words and ideas
rhyme scheme
a regular pattern of rhyming words in a poem (e.g., ABAB, ABBA)
rhythm
means any kind of regular recurrence of strong and weak sounds and accented and unaccented sounds.
stanza
is a group of lines in a poem, considered as a unit
verse
poetry
personification
figurative language in which non-human things or abstractions are represented as having human qualities
line break
the intentional end of a line of poetry
metaphor
a subtle comparison in which the author describes a person or thing using words that are not meant to be taken literally
onomatopoeia
the use of words that sound like what they mean (e.g., buzz and purr); a poetic device to produce this effect
capital letters
used for effect or emphasis in addition to beginning a sentence
simile
a comparison of two things that are essentially different, usually using the words like or as
alliteration
the repetition of the same sounds at the beginning of two or more adjacent words or stressed syllables
hyperbole
an intentionally exaggerated figure of speech for emphasis or effect
idiom
an expression whose meanings cannot be inferred from the meanings of the words that make it up
internal rhyme
a rhyme within the same line of verse, as dreary and weary in Poe's The Raven: "Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary.
line length
evaluated for its contribution to the overall graphic or visual impact
word position
evaluation of how the location of the word adds emphasis to its meaning
repetition
a repeating cadence/meter that enriches or emphasizes words, phrases, lines, and even whole verses of poems.
imagery
the use of language to create mental images and sensory impressions. Imagery can be used for emotional effect and to intensify the impact on the reader.
quatrain
A poem of four lines: Lines 2 and 4 must rhyme; Lines 1 and 3 may or may not rhyme. Rhyming lines should have a similar number of syllables.
cinquain
has five lines: Line 1 is one word (the title); Line 2 is two words that describe the title; Line 3 is three words that tell the action; Line 4 is four words that express the feeling; Line 5 is one word that recalls the title
diamante
has seven lines: Line 1 is a one word subject that is opposite of Line 7; Line 2 is two adjectives which describe the subject in Line 1; Line 3 is three verbs relating to the subject in Line 1; Line 4 is two nouns related to the subject of Line 1, followe
shape poem
Poetry written in the form of an object. This is a type of concrete poetry.
acrostic poem
Poetry that certain letters, usually the first in each line form a word or message when read in a sequence.
epitaph
written to praise or to reflect on the life of a deceased person
haiku poem
A Japanese poem composed of three unrhymed lines of five, seven, and five syllables. Haiku reflects on some aspect of nature.
limerick poem
A short, humorous poem of consisting of five lines: Lines 1, 2, and 5 of this poem have seven to ten syllables and rhyme with one another. Lines 3 and 4 have five to seven syllables and also rhyme with each other.
epic poem
a long narrative poem, usually chronicling the deeds of a folk hero and written using both dramatic and narrative literary techniques
sonnet poem
A lyrical poem that consists of 14 lines, which usually have one or more conventional rhyme schemes.
narrative poem
tells a story to entertain
humerous poem
deals with amusing happenings that befall a human or animal