Poetry Terminology Flashcards
(26 cards)
What is meant by Classical or Neo-classical?
Movements that believed all art should imitate precedents and genres created by artists of the classical civilisations of Greece and Rome
Which centuries were dominated by Classical or Neo-classical literature? Who may be strongly associated with these movements?
Late 17th to early 18th century; John Dryden, Samuel Johnson, Alexander Pope
What are the characteristics of a Ballard in literature?
ABAB rhyme scheme with simple rhythms
Which two poets are most connected to the Ballard form of poetry?
William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge
What does the word ‘effusion’ mean?
A spontaneous expression
Which movement valued ‘effusion’ in their works?
The Romantics
What is an elegy?
A poem lamenting a dead person or persons
What is an epic?
A long poem concerned with large events of conflict.
What are two examples of well-known epics?
Virgil’s ‘Aenied’ and Milton’s ‘Paradise Lost’
What is a mock-epic?
A poem that employs the devices of an epic to recreate the grandeur and prestige of an epic
What is a famous example of a mock-epic?
Alexander Pope’s ‘The Rape of the Lock’ from the eighteenth century
What is an ode?
A lyric address, originally sung to music
What is meant by “pastoral”?
An idealised depiction of rural life; an Eden-like land
What is meant by “Romantic”?
Applied to movements from the 18th century onwards who valued feelings above thought
What are the characteristics of a sonnet?
A 14 line poem with a strict rhyme scheme. There are two many types: Petrachan (ABBA, ABBA, CDECDE or CDCCDC) and Shakespearean (ABAB, CDCD, EFEF, GG)
How was the sonnet popularised in England?
It was brought to court in the 16th century and high cultural prestige
What does “lyric” mean?
Most narrowly it refers to words that are designed to be sung; a ‘lyric poem’ can be one where the song-like characteristics are dominant
What does alliteration mean?
The repetition of the initial letter for aesthetic affect
Give an example of alliteration.
‘The bright, broad blade struck brutally’
What does assonance mean?
The repeating of vowel sounds to draw attention to the phrase, sometimes to increase or decrease the pace fo the poem
Give an example of assonance.
‘Low, close clouds’
What is enjambement in a poem?
The continuation of a line of poetry so there is no pause at the end of a line
What is sibilance?
The use of soft ‘s’ sounds repeatedly
Give an example of sibilance.
‘So many slights, so many sighs, so many snears’
