Poetry - Literary terms Flashcards
(28 cards)
Stanza
A stanza in poetryis a group of lines usually set of from each other by using a blank line. Stanzas are able to rhyme but are not required to.
Lines
A line in poetryis a subdivision of a poem. A group of words arranged into a row that ends for a reason other than the end of a sentence.
Foot / Feet
A poetic foot is’’a unit of stressed and unstressed ( accented and unaccented) syllables in a line of poetry.’’ Each foot has exactly 1 stressed syllable and 1 OR 2 unstressed syllables.
Meter
A reoccuring pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables.
Iambic pentameter
A short syllable is followed by a long syllable.
da DUM / da DUM / da DUM…
Repetition
Repetition is the repeating of a word or a phrase
Rhyme
Words or phrases that have the same ending sound
End rhyme
End rhyme occurs when the last words of two or more lines rhyme.
Rhyme scheme
A rhyme scheme is a regular pattern of rhyme at the end of the lines in a poem
Eye rhyme
A similarity between words in spelling but not in pronunciation, for example love and move.
Sonnet
A fourteen‐line poem with a fixed rhyme scheme; ABAB CDCD EFEF GG. Often written in iambic pentameter and is about love.
Free verse
where there are no rhyme schemes or consistent patterns a poem has to follow.
Alliteration
Alliteration is the repetitionn of the same sound at the start of a series of words in succession.
E.g. Coca-cola
Assonance
A repetition of vowel sounds (e, a, u, i, o) in any part of a word.
E.g. Good day, I’ll be on my way. or: Hear the mellow wedding bells
Onomatopoeia
The naming of a thing or action by a vocal imitation of the sound associated with it.
E.g. BOOM, POW, BANG
Allusion
An allusion occurs when a general fact, famous person, place, special occurrence, etc. are referred to people, objects, places in a text.
E.g. He is a real Einstein
Simile
The subject of the poem is described by comparing it to another object or subject, using ‘as’ or ‘like’.
E.g. Sleeping like a log.
Metaphor
A metaphor compares an object, setting or behaviour to something it is not or cannot be.
E.g. A sea of knowledge
Personification
Personification is used to make inanimate object seem like they are living by giving them human qualities.
Irony
A situation in which something was intended to have a particular result has the opposite result. Irony also means that something different was meant instead of what was literally said, it has a deeper meaning.
E.g. Coming home to a big mess and saying, “it’s great to be back”
Hyperbole
Exaggerating extremely to make your point clearer in a poem or in normal English, by using examples or different punctuation marks.
E.g. I’m so hungry that I could eat a horse.
Imagery
Imagery is when elements of a poem invoke any of the five senses to create a mental image. To represent objects or concepts.
E.g. The autumn leaves are a blanket on the ground.
Paradox
A paradox is a sentence or statement that is self‐contradictory, but then under further inspection makes sense.
E.g. Less is more.
Oxymoron
Two words orphrasesused together that have, orseemto have opposite meanings.
E.g. The dog seems to be pretty ugly.
