| Term | Definition |
|---|
| alliteration | repetition of initial consonant sounds |
| connotation | the implied or suggested meaning of a word; emotional overtones of the word; what it suggests to the reader |
| couplet | two consecutive rhyming lines |
| denotation | the literal definition of a word |
| figure of speech | a word or phrase that identifies or describes something in a way that is not literally true, but may be meaningful in a deeper sense |
| hyperbole | gross exaggeration for effect |
| irony | an unexpected twist; the contrast between what is expected to happen and what actually occurs |
| metaphor | a direct comparison |
| onomatopoeia | the use of words whose sounds imitate natural sounds |
| personification | giving an object or animal human qualities or characteristics |
| rhyme scheme | the pattern of rhymes at the ends of lines in a poem |
| sarcasm | a form of verbal irony; saying something and meanign the exact opposite, with the intent to be witty or insulting |
| simile | a comparison using "like" or "as" |
| stanza | lines grouped together to form a division of a poem, separated from other lines by space |
| symbol | an object, person, place, event that stands for something more than itself; something concrete that stands for an abstract concept |
| Genre | divison or type of literature; usually three major genres: drama, poetry, and prose |
| Narrative poetry | poetry that tells a story and has a narrator; presents dramatic events in a vivid, wild way; uses some of the same elements of short stories |
| Dramatic poetry | poetry that involves the techniques of drama; one or more characters speak to other characters who may or may not be present in the poem |
| dramatic monologue | a poem in which one person adresses a listener or listeners who do not speak |
| Lyric poetry | highly musical verse that expresses the emotions, attitudes, and observations of a single speaker |
| Ballad | song-like poem that tells a story, often one dealing with adventure or romance; in ancient times usually sung to the accompaniment of a lyre |
| folk ballad | earliest ballads, meant to be sung and thus had regular rhythm and rhymes |
| literary ballad | a ballad written by a poet in conscious imitation of a folk ballad |
| quatrain | a normal ballad stanza; a four-line stanza usually with a particular rythm and rhyme scheme |
| Diction | word choice |
| Image | a word or phrase that appeals to one or more of the senses |
| imagery | the collective term for images |
| speaker | the person or voice we hear in the poem |
Combine with other sets
Share on Facebook
Share on MySpace