poetry terms

REPETITION (SOUND)

repeating a word, phrase, or idea for emphasis or rhythmic effect

END RHYME (SOUND)

the rhyming of words that appear at the end of two or more lines

RHYME SCHEME (SOUND)

a consistent pattern in the end rhymes of an entire poem

INTERNAL RHYME (SOUND)

rhyming words that appear within the same line of poetry

COUPLET (SOUND)

a pair of lines that rhyme (usually) and have the same length

ALLITERATION (SOUND)

repetition of initial consonant sounds in words near each other

CONSONANCE (SOUND)

repetition of consonant sounds (like alliterations, but not limited to just the initial sounds of the words)

ASSONANCE (SOUND)

the repetition of vowel sounds without repeating consonants

RHYTHM (SOUND)

the regular (meter)or random (free verse) occurrence of sound in poetry

METER (SOUND)

the patterned repetition (of stressed and unstressed) syllables in a line of poetry (ex. Iambic pentameter)

FREE VERSE (SOUND)

poetry that does not have a regular meter or rhyme scheme

FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE (FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE)

language used to create a special effect or feeling (using a type of interesting or creative comparison)

METAPHOR (FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE)

a comparison of two unlike things in which one thing is said to be another thing (ex. Life is a bowl of cherries)

EXTENDED METAPHOR (FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE)

a metaphor that is carried out throughout the entire poem

SIMILE (FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE)

a comparison of two unlike things using like or as (ex. life is like a box of chocolates)

PERSONIFICATION (FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE)

describing an animal, object or idea as if it were a person; giving human qualities to something non-human

HYPERBOLE (FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE)

an extreme exaggeration

UNDERSTATEMENT (FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE)

a way of emphasizing an idea by talking about it in a restrained manner

IMAGERY (STRONG WORDS)

the use of words (based on the five senses) to create a certain picture in the reader's mind

ENJAMBMENT (FORM)

French word meaning ""straddling.""
Ending a line on a word that creates an unnatural or awkward pause or break in the thought (in the clause or phrase).
NOTE: Punctuation indicates a pause of some sort, so if a line ends with any punctuation it can NOT