 | Term | Definition |
| |
allegory |
a narrative having a second meaning beneath the surface one |
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alliteration |
the repitition of sounds at the beginning of words |
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allusion |
a reference to a person, place, object, or event that is not part of the story that the author expects the reader will recognize |
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assonance |
the repitition of an interior vowel sound within a short section |
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ballad |
a poem that tells a story similar to a folk tale or legend and often has a repeated refrain |
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blank verse |
unrhymed iambic pentameter |
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connotation |
a meaning of a word that carries a suggested meaning different from the actual definition |
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consonance |
the repitition of an interior consonant sound within a short sentence |
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couplet |
a two line stanza usually with the same end rhymes |
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denotation |
the primary understanding or meaning of a word |
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didactic poetry |
poems intended to teach a lesson |
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ekphrastic poetry |
poems based on a work of art |
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end rhyme |
rhyme at the end stanzas |
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extended metaphor |
an implied analogy, or comparison, which is carried throughout a stanza or entire poem |
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figurative language |
expressions that use words to mean something other than their literal meaning |
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free verse |
poetry that has neither rhyme nor regular meter |
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mood |
the overall atmosphere of prevaling emotional feeling of a work |
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octave |
an eight line stanza |
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hyperbole |
an exaggerated statement that adds emphasis without intending to be literally true |
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paradox |
a statement that is self contradictory on its surface, yet makes a point through juxtaposition of the ideas and words within the paradox |
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quatrain |
a four line stanza |
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rhythm |
the flow of stressed and unstressed syllables |
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rhyme |
the occurence of the same or similar sounds at the end of two or more words |
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sestet |
a six line stanza |
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stanza |
a group of lines in a poem |
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tone |
the atmosphere in a literary work or the attitude the author puts in a literary work |
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understatement |
the intentional downplaying of a situation's significance, often for ironic or humorous effect |
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dramatic irony |
where the audience or reader knows more about a character's situation thatn the character does and knows that the characters understanding is incorrect |
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verbal irony |
a disrepancy between what is said and what is really meant (sarcasm) |
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satire |
using humor to expose something o |
