Poetry Terms Flashcards
Stanza
a group of lines of poetry, like a paragraph, set off usually by a blank space. Poets create stanzas for a reason. The lines belong together
Rhyme
the repetition of sound, almost always to achieve an effect or to create a rhythm
Image
a picture in the mind; also known as language that appeals to the 5 senses (sight, sound, touch, smell, taste)
Metaphor
the comparison of two unlike things to suggest things which they have in common - for example: Joe is a lion on the playing field
Rhythm
the beat or pattern of stressed and unstressed lines
Hyperbole
an obvious and unrealistic exaggeration - for example: His gaping jaw could hold a flock of the King’s fattest sheep
Simile
a comparison of two unlike things using like or as - for example: Sue flits through life like a moth in a room of candles
Personification
the description of an inanimate object as if it were a human being or an animal - for example: The kite tugged and pulled at the string, longing for the freedom of the skies
Free verse
poetry which does not have a regular rhythm, rhyme scheme, or form
Mood or atmosphere or tone
the overall feeling created by a piece of writing. Mood can often be described in a few words, such as scary, lonely, empty, triumphant, anxious, but you must be able to refer to specific details in the description, setting, or passage to defend your word or words
Pun
a word which has several meanings, all of which apply
Oxymoron
a phrase which contains opposite elements or words with opposite meanings, yet which expresses one idea when taken as a whole - for example: Bottom says in Midsummer Night’s Dream, “I’ll speak in a monstrous little voice.”
Onomatopoeia
use of a word which sounds like it means - for example: plunk, zip, buzz, bong, zap
