speaker
the voice used by an author in a poem; usually a created identity and not the author's self
metaphor
a figure of speech that makes a comparison between two unlike things, without using the word "like" or "as
verse
a generic term used to describe poetic lines composed in a measured rhythmical pattern that are often, but not necessarily, rhymed
theme
the central meaning or dominant idea in a literary work; the unifying point around which the plot, characters, setting, point of view, symbols, and other elements of a work are organized
lyric
a type of brief poem that expresses the personal emotions and thoughts of a single speaker
narrative poem
a poem that tells a story
paraphrase
a prose restatement of the central ideas of a poem, in your own language
epic poem
a long narrative poem, told in a formal, elevated style, that focuses on a serious subject and chronicles heroic deeds and events important to a culture or nation
diction
a writer's choice of words, phrases, sentence structures, and figurative language, which combine to help create meaning
jargon
a form of diction and a category of language defined by a trade or profession
denotation
the dictionary meaning of a word
connotation
associations and implications that go beyond the literal meaning of a word, which derive from how the word has been commonly used and the associations people make with it
persona
a speaker created by a writer to tell a story or to speak in a poem
ambiguity
allows for two or more simultaneous interpretations of a word, phrase, action, or situation, all of which can be supported by the context of a work
syntax
the ordering of words into meaningful verbal patterns such as phrases, clauses, and sentences
tone
the author's implicit attitude toward the reader or the people, places, and events in a work as revealed by the elements of the author's style
dramatic monologue
a type of lyric poem in which a character (the speaker) addresses a distinct but silent audience imagined to be present in the poem in such a way as to reveal a dramatic situation and, often unintentionally, some aspect of his or her temperament or person
carpe diem
the Latin phrase meaning "seize the day"; a very common literary theme, especially in lyric poetry, which emphasizes that life is short, time is fleeting, and that one should make the most of present pleasures
allusion
a brief reference to a person, place, thing, event, or idea in history or literature
image/imagery
a word, phrase, or figure of speech (especially a simile or a metaphor) that addresses the senses, suggesting mental pictures of sights, sounds, smells, tastes, feelings, or actions
figure of speech
way of using language that deviates from the literal, denotative meanings of words in order to suggest additional meanings or effects
simile
a common figure of speech that makes an explicit comparison between two things by using words such as "like," "as," "than," "appears," and "seems
implied metaphor
a metaphor with a mere subtle comparison and the terms being compared are not so specifically explained
extended metaphor
a sustained comparison in which part or all of a poem consists of a series of related metaphors
synecdoche
a kind of metaphor in which a part of something is used to signify the whole
metonymy
a type of metaphor in which something closely associated with a subject is substituted for it
apostrophe
an address, either to someone who is absent and therefore cannot hear the speaker or to something nonhuman that cannot comprehend
hyperbole
a boldly exaggerated statement that adds emphasis without intending to be literally true
understatement
a figure of speech that says less than is intended
paradox
a statement that initially appears to be contradictory but then, on closer inspection, turns out to make sense
oxymoron
a condensed form of paradox in which two contradictory words are used together
allegory
a narration or description usually restricted to a single meaning because its events, actions, characters, settings, and objects represent specific abstractions or ideas
irony
a literary device that uses contradictory statements or situations to reveal a reality different from what appears to be true
situational irony
irony in which there is an incongruity between what is expected to happen and what actually happens due to forces beyond human comprehension or control
verbal irony
a figure of speech that occurs when a person says one thing but means the opposite
satire
the literary act of ridiculing a folly or vice in order to expose or correct it
ballad
a song that is transmitted orally from generation to generation and tells a story eventually written down
onomatopoeia
a term referring to the use of a word that resembles the sound it denotes
alliteration
the repetition of the same consonant sounds in a sequence of words, usually at the beginning of a word or stressed syllable
assonance
the repetition of internal vowel sounds in nearby words that do not end the same
euphony
language that is smooth and musically pleasant to the ear
cacophony
language that is discordant and difficult to pronounce
rhyme
the repetition of identical or similar concluding syllables in different words, most often at the ends of lines
end rhyme
the most common form of rhyme in poetry in which the rhyme comes at the end of the lines
internal rhyme
a form of rhyme in which at least one of the rhymed words is placed within the line
consonance
a common type of near rhyme that consists of identical consonant sounds preceded by different vowel sounds
rhythm
a term used to refer to the recurrence of stressed and unstressed sounds in poetry
stress
the emphasis, or accent, given a syllable in pronunciation
meter
a rhythmic pattern of stresses recurring in a poem
scansion
the process of measuring the stresses in a line of verse in order to determine the metrical pattern of the line
foot
the metrical unit by which a line of poetry is measured; usually consists of one stressed and one or two unstressed syllables
line
a sequence of words printed as a separate entity on the page
iambic
one unstressed syllable followed by one stressed syllable
trochaic
one stressed syllable followed by an unstressed syllable
anapestic
two unstressed syllables followed by one stressed syllable
dactylic
one stressed syllable followed by two unstressed syllables
blank verse
unrhymed iambic pentameter
monometer
one-foot-long line
dimeter
two-feet-long line
trimeter
three-feet-long line
tetrameter
four-feet-long line
pentameter
five-feet-long line
hexameter
six-feet-long line
heptameter
seven-feet-long line
octameter
eight-feet-long line
spondee
a foot consisting of two stressed syllables but is not a sustained metrical foot and is used mainly for variety or emphasis
caesura
a pause within a line of poetry that contributes to the rhythm of the line; can occur anywhere within a line and need not be indicated by punctuation
form
the overall structure or shape of a work, which frequently follows an established design
stanza
a grouping of lines, set off by a space, that usually has a set pattern of meter and rhyme
rhyme scheme
the pattern of end rhymes; mapped out by noting patterns of rhyme with small letters
couplet
two consecutive lines of poetry that usually rhyme and have the same meter
heroic couplet
a couplet written in rhymed iambic pentameter
tercet
a three-line stanza
triplet
a tercet in which all three lines rhyme
quatrain
a four-line stanza; the most common stanzaic form in the English language
ballad stanza
a four-line stanza consisting of alternating eight- and six-syllable lines; usually only the second and fourth lines rhyme
sonnet
a fixed form of lyric poetry that consists of fourteen lines, usually written in iambic pentameter
Italian (Petrarchan) sonnet
a sonnet divided into an octave and a sestet; very often the octave presents a situation, attitude, or problem that the sestet comments upon or resolves
octave
a poetic stanza of eight lines, usually forming one part of a sonnet
sestet
a stanza consisting of exactly six lines
Shakespearean (English) sonnet
a sonnet organized into three quatrains and a couplet
elegy
a mournful, contemplative lyric poem written to commemorate someone who is dead, often ending in a consolation
ode
a relatively lengthy lyric poem that often expresses lofty emotions in a dignified style; characterized by a serious topic
free verse
also called open form poetry; refers to poems characterized by their nonconformity to established patterns of meter, rhyme, and stanza; uses elements such as speech patterns, grammar, emphasis, and breath pauses to decide line breaks and usually does not