| Term | Definition |
| metaphor | a comparision without using like or as |
| rhyme scheme | the pattern of rhyme throughout a poem; used to lend a certain rhythm to the poem |
| tetrameter | a verse line having four metrical feet |
| protagonist | the principal character in a work of fiction |
| oxymoron | A figure of speech that combines opposite or contradictory terms in a brief phrase. |
| alliteration | the repitition of sounds, most often consonat sounds, at the begining of words. Alliteration gives emphasis to words. |
| meter | a pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables |
| pentameter | a verse line having five metrical feet |
| enjambment | The running over of a sentence or thought from one line to the next |
| antagonist | a character who works against the protagonist |
| hyperbole | a figure of speech that uses exaggeration to express strong emotion, make a point, or evoke humor |
| setting | the state of the environment in which a situation exists |
| tenor | subject that takes action |
| iambic | describing a poetic foot consisting of an unaccented syllable followed by an accented one. Example: alone |
| couplet | A pair of successive lines of verse, especially a pair that rhyme |
| foil character | Character used to contrast another character |
| pathetic fallacy | the fallacy of attributing human feelings to inanimate objects |
| foreshadowing | the use of hints and clues to suggest what will happen later in a plot |
| vehicle | the concrete image that is linked with the tenor |
| trochee | A stressed syllable followed by an unstressed syllable (DAH da) |
| spondee | a metrical unit with stressed-stressed syllables |
| comic relief | inclusion of humor to contrast tragic elements |
| blank verse | poetry written in unrhymed iambic pantameter. |
| trimeter | A line of a poem that contains three metric feet |
| caesura | a pause or break within a line of poetry |
| soliloquy | a (usually long) dramatic speech intended to give the illusion of unspoken reflections |
| narrator | someone who tells a story |
| personification | the act of attributing human characteristics to abstract ideas etc. |
| dramatic irony | when a reader is aware of something that a character isn't |
| simile | a comparision using like or as |