Poetry Test Review Flashcards
(41 cards)
Metaphor
A non-literal comparison of two things without using “like” or “as”.
Paradox
An apparent contradiction that is in some sense true.
Personification
Giving human attributes to a non-human object or process.
Simile
A non-literal comparison between two things using “like” or “as”.
Symbol
A concrete object or process that has another meaning to it.
Synecdoche
Using something closely identified with an object to mean the object; (e.g the pen is mightier than the sword)
Metonymy
Using part of an object to suggest the whole object (e.g Like my new wheels? - car)
Alliteration
Repetition of initial consonant sounds (Peter Piper Picked a Pack…)
Assonance
Repetition of internal vowel sounds (After apple, Groovy Tube)
Consonance
Repetition of internal consonant sounds without repeating vowel sounds (fun win, big leg)
Onomatopoeia
A word whose sound is its meaning(Kapow! Blam! Thwack!)
Phonetic Intensive
A word whose sound suggests its meaning (whisper, flicker, glimmer, whoosh)
Rhyme
Repetition of both internal consonant and vowel sounds (ring…sing, fall…tall)
Slant/Approximate Rhyme
When words mostly rhyme, but not completely (basin, brazen, asian, caisson, cave in, chasing, chasten, craven)
“59” or “Lonely Prime Numbers”
Harry Baker; 59 liked 60 who was perfect and had many factors unlike prime 59, but he eventually found 61, another prime number. They were a “prime” example of love.
“Introduction to Poetry”
Billy Collins; People too often try to “beat” the meaning out of a poem, but Billy Collins wants them to read it lightly and interpret it as they will. (“waterski across the pond, waving to the author on the shore”)
“The Vaccuum”
Howard Nemerov; The speaker fears turning on the vacuum because it reminds him too much of his dead partner/wife who frequently used the vacuum. Some have pointed out that the bag that swells like a belly could indicate the wife was pregnant before dying.
“My Papa’s Waltz”
Theodore Roethke; The speaker is older, and looking back at his youth and his father before the father died. The father dances drunken and clumsy with the son, but the son learns to appreciate those moments later. *Note the presence of a mother figure in this poem compared to in “Those Winter Sundays”.
“Sir Patrick Spens”
*Folk Ballad - Many people; This poem details the journey of a great and brave sailor that has great allegiance to the king. The king asks him to sail at a poor time of year. Sir Patrick spens knows he will die at sea, but must obey the king and keep his allegiance. He goes anyway, and his ship sinks. The sailors were “buried at his feet” to symbolize his power and bravery at sea.
“What the Living Do”
Marie Howe; Marie Howe’s brother has died from AIDS, and the speaker (presumably her) has been grieving enough that she has a hard time staying motivated to take care of herself now. She sees her reflection in a storefront mirror, and it is a turning point because she notices her sloppy appearance. She turns toward living on and remembering Johnny instead of continuing to mourn him.
“The Chimney Sweeper” (Songs of Innocence)
William Blake; The speaker has been through the horrors of the chimney sweep profession, but amazingly still has some innocence. He tells a new sweep (Tom Dacre) who is getting his head shaved that it is good because the ashes wont get his beautiful blonde hair black. This shows the innocence of the speaker still.
“The Chimney Sweeper” (Songs of Experience)
William Blake; The speaker has been through the chimney sweep profession for years now, and has been rejected because he is about to die from accumulation of ash in his lungs, and suffocation. He tells a passerby that his parents thought they were doing him good by getting him into the profession of being a chimney sweep, but we know that this decision will kill the speaker.
“Those Winter Sundays”
Robert Hayden; Just as in “My Papa’s Waltz”, the speaker is older now looking back on his childhood and father. The father we know works very hard and is up early chopping wood with split hands. This may be because of an absense of a mother figure, and the speaker feels some guilt as he says that “[he] never thanked him” for the work he did for the family. We also know that the father got them to church.
“Skunk Burial”
Doug Stone; The speaker smells a roadkill skunk in his house, and gets mad at his neighbors for not cleaning it up. He goes to clean it up and realizes the dead skunk was pregnant with a cub half-alive and suffering. He kills the cub out of mercy, and goes to burn the skunk and his clothes as a spiritual ritual. The mother and baby skunk could have a connection to Mary and Jesus christ.
