Vocab Flashcards
(29 cards)
Metaphor
Metaphor: A comparison between two things without using “like” or “as.”
Example: “The classroom was a zoo.”
Simile
Simile: A comparison between two things using “like” or “as.”
Example: “Her voice is as soft as silk.”
Personification
Personification: Giving human characteristics to non-human things.
Example: “The moon smiled down at us.”
Hyperbole
Hyperbole: An exaggerated statement not meant to be taken literally.
Example: “I’m so hungry I could eat a horse.”
Allusion
Allusion: A reference to another work, person, or event.
Example: “He was a real Einstein in class.”
Allegory
An allegory is a story, poem, or work of art that carries a hidden meaning, often a moral one, where characters and events represent deeper ideas or concepts.
example: the three little pigs built different house which showcases the importance of preparation and hardwork
Idiom
An expression that holds a different meaning to its literal meaning
example:
- im feeling under the weather = feeling sick or sad
- I see her once in a blue moon = I see her once a while
Paradox
A statement that seems contradictory but reveals a truth.
Example: “Less is more.”
‘‘I must be cruel, only to be kind’’
Oxymoron
Oxymoron: Two opposite words placed together
Example: “pretty ugly.”
Juxtaposition
Placing two things side by side to highlight their differences.
Example: “The light of the moon against the dark sky.”
alliteration
repetition of the same consonant or starting sounds
Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.
analogy
A comparison between two things to explain or clarify.
“Life is like a box of chocolates.”
Caesura
A pause or break in a line of poetry, usually in the middle.
Example: “To be, or not to be—that is the question.”
this thing (. — )
enjambment
The continuation of a sentence or thought beyond the end of a line of poetry.
The curtains were half drawn, the floor was swept
And strewn with rushes, rosemary and may
Lay think upon the bed on which I lay.
The sentence ends but it is continued on the next line
ballad
A form of narrative poem often set to music.
“The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” by Samuel Taylor Coleridge.
elegy
A poem of mourning or reflection, often for someone who has passed.
Example: “O Captain! My Captain!” by Walt Whitman.
blank verse
Unrhymed poetry written in iambic pentameter.
“But soft! What light through yonder window breaks?” (from Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare).
lyric
A short poem expressing personal thoughts or feelings.
“Ode to a Nightingale” by John Keats.
epigram
A short, witty, and often paradoxical statement.
Example: “I can resist anything except temptation.” — Oscar Wilde
assonance
Repetition of vowel sounds in nearby words.
“The early bird catches the worm.”
trimeter
A line of poetry with three metrical feet.
“That time of year thou mayst in me behold.”
slant rhyme
A near rhyme where the sounds are similar but not identical.
“worm” and “swarm.”
cacophony
Harsh, jarring sounds, often used to convey disorder or chaos.
“The clash of cymbals, the blaring horns.”
malapropism
The mistaken use of a word in place of a similar-sounding one.
example: The poet was so keen to prosecute his verse.” (Instead of prosecute, the poet might have meant pursue or proclaim.)
