 | Term | Definition |
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alliteration |
the repetition of consonant sounds. |
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allusion |
a reference, in a given poem, to a character, place, event, or other thing that is well known from another work of literature, or history, religion, myth, or some other field of knowledge |
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anastrophe |
the inversion of "normal" word order to achieve a "poetic" or distinctive effect |
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apostrophe |
when a speaker in a poem directly addresses an absent or dead person, god/godess, an abstract quality, or some nonhuman thing as if it were present and capable of responding |
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assonance |
the repetition of similar vowel sounds in a poem |
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criticism |
is devoted to the comparison, analysis, evaluation and interpretation of works of literature. It is subjective and debatable; it also can be positive or negative. |
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diction |
a writer-s or speaker's choice of words. |
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dissonance |
the use of harsh sounds or rhythms in order to achieve an effect ("I'd awake and hear the cold spolintering, breaking," Hayden; "flak-jacketed marines/Gunpoint the crowd away," Wojahn). |
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epic |
a long narrative poem that tells of a great hero who embodies the values of a culture (Homer's Illiad and Odyssey; Milton's Paradise Lost). |
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lyric poetry |
Songlike poetry that expresses private, personal thoughts and emotions. This form is so common that modern readers often associate with with the term poetry itself. |
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metaphor |
a comparison between two seemingly unlike things (without using the words like, as than or resembles. |
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meter |
the repeated rhythmic pattern found in a given poem. There are a number of types: iamb (disgrace) trochee (borrow),anapest (contradict), dactyl (accurate), spondee (seaweed), and more. |
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onomatopoeia |
a word whose sound mimics or suggests its meaning ("Listen! You hear the grating roar/Of pebbles which the waves draw back, and fling," Arnold). |
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oxymoron |
the combination of seemingly contradictory or opposing ideas or images (Gas! Gas! Quick, boys! An ecstacy of fumbling/fitting the clumsy helmets just in time," Owne). |
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paradox |
an apparent contradiction that, upon further thought, is actually true ("Her boredom is exquisite," Pound: to say one "kills somoene with kindness" ). |
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personification |
when a nonhuman thing is given human characteristics ("The vacuum clean sulks in the corner closet"). |
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poetry |
creative writing that uses compression, figures of speech, imagery and other techniques to express strong thoughts and feelings. |
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rhythm |
the regular alternation of stressed and unstressed syllables. |
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rhyme |
the repetition of sounds in a poem - often at the ends of lines and in specific schemes/patterns. |
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hyperbole |
exaggeration for effect. |
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litote |
understatement for effect |
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euphamy |
poetry that sounds good |
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cacophany |
poetry that is meant to sound harsh |
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form |
the type of poem i.e, Haiku, sonnet, free verse |
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free verse |
is a form/is formless |
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iambic pentameter |
10 syllables per line, 5 feet each, hard soft hard |
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imagery |
writing that arouses the senses. |
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simile |
comparison using like or as. |
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speaker |
in a poem; the voice that addresses the audience. |
| Add or remove terms from this set |
