Poetry Terminology - For Test

Question 1

Allusion

Answer 1

A reference to another work of literature, person, or event.

Question 2

Alliteration

Answer 2

Repetition of initial consonant sounds in closely placed words (e.g., “She sells sea shells”).

Question 3

Assonance

Answer 3

Repetition of vowel sounds within nearby words (e.g., “The early bird catches the worm”).

Question 4

Ballad

Answer 4

A narrative poem, often set to music, that tells a story in short stanzas.

Question 5

Caesura

Answer 5

A pause in a line of poetry, often marked by punctuation (e.g., “To be, or not to be — that is the question.”).

Question 6

Connoation

Answer 6

The implied or emotional meaning associated with a word.

Question 7

Denotation

Answer 7

The literal, dictionary definition of a word.

Question 8

Enjambment

Answer 8

When a sentence or phrase runs over from one line of poetry to the next without a pause.

Question 9

Epic Poem

Answer 9

A lengthy narrative poem, often about heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation.

Question 10

Euphony

Answer 10

Pleasant, harmonious sound in language (often using soft consonants and vowels).

Question 11

Inference

Answer 11

A logical conclusion based on evidence and reasoning.

Question 12

Irony

Answer 12

A contrast between expectations and reality, often for humorous or emphatic effect.

Question 13

Metonymy

Answer 13

A figure of speech in which one word or phrase is substituted with something closely related (e.g., “The crown” for monarchy).

Question 14

Meter

Answer 14

The structured rhythm of a poem, based on syllables and stress patterns

Question 15

Ode Poem

Answer 15

A formal, often ceremonious lyric poem that addresses and often praises a person, place, thing, or idea.

Question 16

Oxymoron

Answer 16

Two contradictory terms used together (e.g., “deafening silence”).

Question 17

Paradox

Answer 17

A statement that seems contradictory but reveals a deeper truth (e.g., “Less is more.”).

Question 18

Parody

Answer 18

A humorous or satirical imitation of a serious piece of literature or writing

Question 19

Parallelism

Answer 19

The use of similar grammatical structures in a series to express related ideas (e.g., “I came, I saw, I conquered.”).

Question 20

Pathetic Fallacy

Answer 20

Giving human emotions to nature or inanimate objects, often reflecting a character’s mood (e.g., stormy weather mirroring sadness).

Question 21

Quatrain

Answer 21

A stanza of four lines, often with a rhyme scheme.

Question 22

Refrain

Answer 22

A repeated line or group of lines in a poem or song, typically at the end of a stanza.

Question 23

Rhyme

Answer 23

Correspondence of sound between words or endings of words, especially at the ends of lines of poetry.

Question 24

Scansion

Answer 24

The process of analyzing a poem’s meter by marking stressed and unstressed syllables.

Question 25

Symbolism

Answer 25

The use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities (e.g., a dove symbolizing peace).

Question 26

Synecdoche

Answer 26

A figure of speech in which a part is used to represent the whole (e.g., "all hands on deck").

Question 27

Tone

Answer 27

The author’s attitude toward the subject, audience, or characters.

Question 28

Iambic Pentameter

Answer 28

A common metrical line in poetry with five iambs (unstressed-stressed syllables), totaling ten syllables per line (e.g., “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?”).

Question 29

Foil

Answer 29

A character who contrasts with another character (usually the protagonist) to highlight particular qualities.

Question 30

Pun

Answer 30

A play on words that exploits multiple meanings or similar-sounding words for a humorous or rhetorical effect.