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Poetic Terms Flashcards

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1
Q

accentual-syllabic verse

A

the dominant system of meter since the Renaissance: lines of poetry composed according to both regular stress patterns and syllable counts

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2
Q

accentual verse

A

accentual verse features consistency in the number of accents, or stresses, per line. The number of unaccented syllables is irregular. This system of meter has been in use from the beginnings of English poetry, although overshadowed by accentual-syllabic meter since the Renaissance. It has persisted in popular forms, such as folk ballads and nursery rhymes

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3
Q

alexandrine

A

uncommon in english poetry, a line of iambic hexameter is often termed an alexandrine. the alexandrine was for centuries the dominant verse form in French poetry, its twelve syllables divided up variously over time, but usually featuring four stresses

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4
Q

allegory

A

a narrative or image which can be understood on a surface level as well as on a metaphorical level

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5
Q

alliteration

A

repeated consonant sounds appearing at the beginning of words or stressed syllables

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6
Q

allusion

A

a passing reference to another cultural text or to a historical figure or event

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7
Q

anacrusis

A

one or more unaccented syllables falling at the beginning of a line and not counted as part of the poem’s established metrical pattern

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8
Q

anaphora

A

repetition of a word or phrase, usually at the beginning of a line. This figure can achieve various effects

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9
Q

apostrophe

A

an address to an absent person, thing, or abstraction

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10
Q

assonance

A

same or similar vowel sounds repeated in close proximity

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11
Q

avant-garde

A

French for “advance guard,” the term is used in the arts to describe creative people, movements, and works that are experimental, pushing beyond the limits of established norms

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12
Q

ballad

A

flourishing in the Renaissance period, the traditional English folk ballad was a single narrative song, transmitted orally, featuring rhymed quatrain stanzas with alternating tetrameter and trimeter lines. The subject matter was commonly tragic, drawn from local history, delivered in the impersonal third person and reflective of popular cultural worldviews rather than an individual perspective

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13
Q

blank verse

A

unrhymed lines of iambic pentameter. The most widely used verse form in traditional English poetry. Blank verse is the dominant form in Shakespeare’s plays

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14
Q

blazon

A

popularized by Petrarch, the blazon is a commonplace of Renaissance love poetry in which the speaker enumerates and celebrates the various virtues, primarily physical, of his beloved

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15
Q

caesura

A

a grammatical pause mid-line, often marked by a period, semicolon, or comma

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16
Q

canon

A

originally the term referred to a body of texts considered to be authentic. now the term is used more often to refer to a body of writings considered to be the best and most important literary accomplishments of a nation, an era, a genre, etc. Over the past few decades, critics have become increasingly aware of how cultural biases shape literary canons. As a result, received canons are subject to intervention and expansion, including, for example, more women authors and authors of colour

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17
Q

carpe diem

A

Latin phrase meaning “seize the day.” A shorthand way to refer to the perennial theme, especially prevalent in love poetry, of embracing pleasure while one can in this short life. In Elizabethan poetry, this urgent plea is often expressed by a speaker attempting to persuade a chaste young woman to submit to his advances.

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18
Q

catalectic

A

in a catalectic line, a final syllable that would normally fulfil the established meter has been dropped (catalexis)

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19
Q

chiasmus

A

a figure of speech in which the second half reverses the terms of the first

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20
Q

concrete poetry

A

this mode of poetry makes the most of language as physical material. Pattern poems are organized so that the overall shape of the poem echoes its subject matter. Concrete poetry embraces more than simply shape poems; the term, popularized in the 1950s during a surge of experimental output on an international scale, applies to a wide range of innovative poetry that engages the physicality of language, even down to the level of the letter and punctuation. While definitions shift and overlap, the expression “concrete poetry” in its most generous scope embraces pattern poetry, visual poetry, sound poetry, and new digital forms

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21
Q

confessional poetry

A

more revealing and detailed in its expression of the self than the poetry that came before

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22
Q

consonance

A

same or similar consonant sounds repeated in close proximity.

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23
Q

dactylic meter

A

a meter composed of the following repeated foot: stressed syllable + two unstressed syllables

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24
Q

deconstruction

A

a theory and practice of literary criticism that proceeds from the notion that language itself is an infinitely unsettled system, so that literary texts cannot be closed, unified, articulable systems we might presume them to be. Deconstructive interpretations seek to unveil in a work the inconsistencies, contradictions and alternate paths of meaning that are always unresolvable. A revolutionary way to explore the instability of textual dynamics

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25
diction
the choice of vocabulary and phrasing in a work, contributing to its tonal effect
26
ekphrastic poem
an ekphrastic poem responds to another, non-literary work, usually a sculpture or painting
27
elegy
a formal poem of lament, usually mourning the death of an individual. An important subtype is the pastoral elegy, originated by the ancient Greeks and revived in the Renaissance; the pastoral elegy features shepherds in a Classical rustic setting
28
elison
the suppression of a vowel or syllable, often to accommodate a metrical scheme
29
end rhyme
rhyme occurring among the terminal words of lines
30
enjambment
the carrying over of sense and syntax from the end of one line to the beginning of the next, also referred to as a run-on line
31
epic
a long narrative poem detailing the adventures of a hero or heroes.
32
epithalamion (epithalamium)
a poem written in celebration of marriage. originated by Classical poets, the form was taken up with enthusiasm by poets of the Renaissance
33
euphony
a sonically pleasing quality. a euphonic phrase, thanks to letter combinations and rhythmic profile, is attractive to the ear and generally easy to pronounce
34
feminine ending
an unstressed terminal syllable
35
foot
the repeated metrical unit in a line of verse, for example an iamb or dactyl
36
free verse
the majority of modern and contemporary poetry is written in free verse; unlike most poetry composed before the twentieth century, free verse does not adhere to any fixed meter or rhyme scheme. sound and rhythm usually remain of prime importance in free verse, and patterns appear, but these are unique and organic to the individual poem rather than predetermined
37
haiku
a short, unrhymed Japanese poem which recounts and invites a moment of acute perception and meditation. natural imagery figures prominently. as adopted by English language practitioners, the haiku usually appears in three lines, with the following syllable counts: 5, 7, 5.. a concise form free of regular rhyme and meter
38
harlem Renaissance
the explosion of creative and intellectual activity among African Americans before the end of WWI and the Great Depression.
39
heresy of paraphrase
term introduced by Cleanth Brooks, argues that one cannot paraphrase the full meaning of a poem, invites readers to consider poetry as they would the other arts: "as an experience rather than any mere statement about experience or any mere abstraction from experience"
40
heroic couplet
a rhyming pair of iambic pentameter lines, the heroic couplet was especially popular during the 18th century
41
hyperbole
exaggeration, overstatement
42
iambic meter
a meter composed of the following repeated foot: unstressed syllable + stressed syllable. this foot is called an IAMB
43
iambic pentameter
lines comprising five imabic feet, one of the most commonly employed meters in English poetry
44
imagery
a vague and variable but ubiquitous term in literary criticism. generally refers to the non-abstract elements in a poem, particularly those evoking a mental picture, but also those offering other sense-impressions
45
indeterminacy
undecidability of meaning, the unstable link between text and referent. Characterizes a body of work in which the connections among words on the page, rather than connection between words and their referents, are foregrounded
46
intentional fallacy
the misguided assumption that a work's meaning resides within the scope of the author's intentions. while these intentions (whether stated or divined) can be instructive and interesting, the meaning and import of a text continues to evolve as it passes through different cultural contexts, different critical climates, and different reader's hands.
47
intertextuality
a resonant relationship between texts, manifested through citation, allusion, echoing, borrowing, parody, etc. The relationship can be macro or micro. Taken to its logical limits, intertextuality is the condition of all texts; as deconstruction has shown, all words are understood only through their relationships with other words
48
verbal irony
words of a speaker contradict his or her true feelings or intentions
49
lineation
the organization of poetry into lines (as opposed to the arbitrary termination of lines of text determined by page margin, as in prose)
50
lyric
a relatively brief poem featuring a single speaker expressing thought and feelings. appears in many forms, including sonnet, ode, and free verse. in ancient Greece, the lyric was a poem sung to the accompaniment of a lyre
51
masculine ending
a stressed terminal syllable
52
metaphor
a figure of speech comparing one thing to another
53
metaphysical conceit
a conceit is an extended, often elaborate metaphor, named after the group of 17th century poets termed the metaphysical poets
54
meter
the pattern of recurring units of speech-sound, such as accented and unaccented syllables, a more specific term than rhythm
55
metonymy
a figure of speech in which a word stands for an object or concept to which it is related
56
synecdoche
a category of metonymy in which a part stands for the whole
57
negative capability
a state in which someone is capable of being in uncertainties, mysteries, doubts, without any irritable reaching after fact and reason. suggests poetry is impervious to concerns of logic and evidence, where the sense of Beauty overcomes every other consideration. Offers an appealing way to describe the experience of enjoying a difficult poem, can be in a state of continued puzzlement and enduring pleasure
58
neologism
a newly invented word (created in the absence of a word that can express precisely what they mean), or word introduced from another language.
59
new criticism
a school of literary criticism dominating the field during the mid-twentieth century, steered focus away from historical and biographical concerns, arguing for the autonomy of the text itself. detailed attention to the internal workings of a poem inaugurated a practice of close reading, or explication.
60
new historicism
a mode of literary criticism that views creative texts as inseparable from their historical concepts, see literary works as both reflective of and productive of the worldviews of their contemporary milieus
61
octave
a grouping of eight lines, most commonly used in reference to the first eight lines of a Petrarchan sonnet (abbaabba)
62
ode
a lyric poem celebrating, and often addressed to, a person, thing, or abstraction, with a tone that is elevated, serious
63
three principal forms of odes:
pindaric ode (original choral Greek form), Horatian ode (more personal in tone), Cowleyan ("irregular")
64
onomatopoeia
a word that sonically imitates its meaning
65
ottava rima
an eight-line iambic pentameter stanza, with the rhyme scheme abababcc, adapted from italian epic poetry
66
oxymoron
a figure of speech yoking contradictory terms, a condensed form of paradox
67
paradox
a statement which is seemingly illogical or contradictory, often reconcilable upon reflection
68
pastoral
a mode of literature featuring the idealized, simple life of shepherds in a beautiful rustic setting. developed by poets of ancient Greece and Rome, was revived in the Renaissance
69
pathetic fallacy
the falsifying practice of attributing human characteristics to inanimate elements of Nature
70
persona
technically interchangeable with "speaker," persona is preferred when the voice of the poem is clearly distinct from that of the author
71
personification
the attribution of human characteristics to objects, nonhuman creatures, and abstraction
72
prose poem
a poem in which lineation does not play a significant role. troubles the boundaries between prose and pone, combining the energies of the sentence/paragraph and the intensive music, figurative language, and disjunctions associated with poetry
73
quatrain
a grouping of four lines
74
reader-response criticism
form of literary criticism that highlights the role of readers in the development of meaning and in the long-term cultural evaluation of a literary work. recognizes the differences among readers and the consequent multiplicity of a text's possible interpretations
75
Renaissance
1400-1650, revival of classical literature, explosion of scholarly activity and new artistic production.
76
rhyme
the repetition of same or similar sounds
77
eye rhyme
words bearing similar spelling but different sounds
78
slant rhyme
inexact duplication (mother/father)
79
internal rhyme
two or more words rhyming within a line
80
feminine rhyme
involving two or more syllables (wither, slither)
81
rhyming couplet
a pair of end-rhymed lines, can appear aline as pithy epigrams or in lengthy sequences
82
heroic couplets
rhymed couplets in iambic pentameter
83
rhythm
a more general term than meter, can refer to the overall beat structure of a work, often shaped by an underlying meter but including all variations and deviations. can also talk about an interesting passage that does not adhere to any standard meter
84
romantic era
late 18th and mid 19th century: importance of feeling and its uncensored expression, the creative power of imagination, interest in folk culture, breaking free of inherited forms, rules, and ideas
85
Sapir-Whorf hypothesis
explores the notion of linguistic relativity; the idea that a person's particular language affects his or her patterns of cognition and behaviour
86
scan
determining meter by analyzing patterns of stressed and unstressed syllables, marking them with symbols. delineating metrical feat with vertical bars. noting caesurae and rhyme schemes
87
sestet
a grouping of six lines, most commonly refers to the final six lines of a Petrarchan sonnet
88
sestina
a seven-stanza poetic form of French origin, in which the final words of each line get repeated in varying orders. pattern adheres to the rule that the final word of one stanza concludes the first line of the following stanza
89
simile
a figure of speech comparing someone or something to something else, uses "like" and "as
90
sonnet
a poem comprised of fourteen iambic pentameter lines, traditionally featuring a single speaker expressing love or admiration and/or reflecting on his own feelings (similar to BLAZON)
91
speaker
the constructed voice of a lyric poem, important as a distinction from the author, who may have nothing in common with the speaking voice of the work (synonym for PERSONA)
92
stanza
a grouping of lines constituting a section in a poem, set off from others by spacing
93
symbols
more resonant and complex than an image, a symbol is replete with significance, either as a cultural repository of accrued meaning, or as developed within the limited world of an author's single literary work
94
syntax
the arrangement of grammatical elements in a phrase, line, or sentence
95
terza rima
a form composed of tercets (three-lined stanzas) interlinked through rhyme: the thymes of lines 1 and 3 are carried down from line 2 of the previous stanza (aba, bcb, cbc)
96
tone
mood, feeling, atmosphere. might refer to the overall effect of a poem or specifically, the voice of a speaker
97
trochaic meter
a meter composed of the following repeated food: stressed syllable + unstressed syllable
98
volta
a turn in the argument of a Petrarchan sonnet, appearing at the beginning of line nine and often flagged by terms such as yet, but, however. Usually appears in line 13 in Shakespearean sonnets
99
mock heroic
imitating the style of heroic literature in order to satirize an unheroic subject
100
augustan poetry
18th century English poetry that was political, satirical, and marked by the central philosophical problem of whether the individual or society took precedence as the subject of verse
101
horatian ode
a poem with meter and rhyme, devoted to praising an animal or object, often touched with irony and melancholy, but sometimes with gentle humour
102
pindaric ode
ceremonious poem, consisting of three parts
103
metaphysical poetry
highly intellectualized poetry marked by bold and ingenious conceits, incongruous imagery, complexity and subtlety of thought, frequent use of paradox, and often by deliberate harshness or rigidity of expression
104
conceit
a fanciful expression in writing or speech; an elaborate metaphor
105
anaphora
literary figure of repetition; repetition of the first words or phrase at the beginning of successive lines
106
ballad stanza
alternating lines of iambic trimeter and tetrameter
107
spenserian sonnet
14 line poem in iambic pentameter with an interlocking rhyme scheme abab bcbc cdcd ee
108
alexandrine
another name for a line of iambic hexameter
109
caesura
break or pause in a line of poetry
110
hypermetric line
a poetic line that contains more than the usual number of syllables
111
italian or petrarchan sonnet
ABBAABBA CDECDE - octave and sestet, problem/resolution
112
free verse
non-metered, non-rhyming lines of poetry
113
internal rhyme
when a word within a line rhymes with the word at the end of the line
114
eye rhmye
words that look like they might rhyme but they don't
115
ekphrasis
the description of a piece of art as a rhetorical exercise
116
polyptoton
a device of repetition where the same root is repeated in words with different meanings
117
ode
a formal lyric poem, composed in varying metrical and stanzaic forms, usually commemorating a person, event, idea, or object
118
lyric
the term used to describe formal poetry that features a single poetic voice expressing emotions or feelings, could be accompanied by a lyre
119
apostrophe
a formal address to an object, person, or idea, etc. (often proceeded by exclamation of O!)
120
negative capability
a theory first articulated by the romantic poet John Keats, has to do with the ability to seek truth outside of logic and science. "capable of being in uncertainties and doubts"
121
prosopopeia
giving voice to another person or object
122
mock heroic
imitating the style of heroic literature in order to satirize an unheroic subject
123
lines with missing syllables at the start of the line are called
headless
124
felix culpa
Latin for "fortunate fall", the Christian notion that the fall and Adam and Eve in Paradise was not necessarily a bad thing
125
sibilance
in poetry, an hissing sound produced by consonants voice by pushing air through the mouth
126
metonymy
substitution of the name of an attribute, part, or adjunct of a thing for the thing itself
127
carpe diem
Latin for "seize the day"

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