Poetry TermsPoetry Terms

AlliterationAlliteration

The repetition of a The repetition of a consonantconsonant sound at sound at the beginning of neighboring words. the beginning of neighboring words. (Consonants are all the letters except a, (Consonants are all the letters except a, e, i, o, u, and y.)e, i, o, u, and y.)

EXAMPLE:The dark dance of death whisked her away.Repetition of the “d” sound in “dark dance of death”Like a lucky charm, he looks on.Repetition of the “l” sound in “Like,” “lucky,” and “looks”

AllusionAllusion

• A reference to a well-known A reference to a well-known person, place, event, literary person, place, event, literary work, or work of artwork, or work of art

EXAMPLE: In Martin Luther King, Jr's "I Have A Dream" speech, he started off by saying "Five score years ago". He was alluding to Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address which started with the phrase "Four score and seven years ago".

AssonanceAssonance

The repetition of The repetition of vowelvowel sounds of sounds of neighboring words. (Vowels are a, e, i, o, neighboring words. (Vowels are a, e, i, o, u, and y.)u, and y.)

EXAMPLES: Talking and walking, hours on end.Repetition of the “ah” sound in “talking” “walking”A turtle in the fertile soil.Repetition of the “er” sound in “turtle” “fertile”

CoupletCouplet

Two successive lines of poetry with end-Two successive lines of poetry with end-words that rhyme. They often work as a words that rhyme. They often work as a unit.unit.

EXAMPLE:True wit is nature to advantage dress'd;What oft was thought, but ne'er so well express'd. — Alexander Pope

Free VerseFree Verse

Poetry not written in a regular rhythmical Poetry not written in a regular rhythmical pattern or meter; a poem that does not pattern or meter; a poem that does not rhyme and does not conform to a rhyme and does not conform to a standard beat or rhythmstandard beat or rhythm

EXAMPLE: next slide

"Oranges""Oranges" Gary Soto (1995) Gary Soto (1995)   The first time I walked   The first time I walked With a girl, I was twelve, With a girl, I was twelve, Cold, and weighted down Cold, and weighted down With two oranges With two oranges in myin my jacket. jacket. December.  Frost cracking December.  Frost cracking Beneath my steps, my breath Beneath my steps, my breath Before me, then gone, Before me, then gone, As I walked toward As I walked toward Her house, the one whose Her house, the one whose Porch light burned yellow Porch light burned yellow Night and dayNight and day, in any weather. , in any weather. A dog barked at me, until A dog barked at me, until She came out pulling She came out pulling At her gloves, face bright At her gloves, face bright With rouge.  I smiled, With rouge.  I smiled, Touched her shoulder, and led Touched her shoulder, and led Her down the street, across Her down the street, across A used car lot and a line A used car lot and a line Of newly planted trees. . . . . Of newly planted trees. . . . .

HyperboleHyperbole

An exaggerationAn exaggeration (to emphasize something (to emphasize something or for humorous purposes).or for humorous purposes).

EXAMPLES: I love you more than life itself.

Love is exaggerated.

He could eat a horse.His appetite is exaggerated.

IdiomIdiom

an expression that does not mean what it an expression that does not mean what it looks like it shouldlooks like it should

EXAMPLES:

It’s raining cats and dogs.

Don’t Let the cat out of the bag.

ImageryImagery

A word or phrase that appeals to one or A word or phrase that appeals to one or more of the five sensesmore of the five senses

EXAMPLE:From “Mrs. Flowers” by Maya Angelou

A small widening of her thin black lips to show even, small white teeth, then the effortless closing.

Internal RhymeInternal Rhyme

Rhyme within a lineRhyme within a line

EXAMPLE:

“Back into the chamber turning, all my

soul within me burning.”

IronyIrony

Saying the Saying the oppositeopposite of what you actually of what you actually meanmean; ; a contradiction between what is a contradiction between what is expected and what actually happensexpected and what actually happens

EXAMPLE:

Lyric PoetryLyric Poetry

Highly musical verse that expresses Highly musical verse that expresses the observations and feelings of a the observations and feelings of a single speakersingle speaker

MetaphorMetaphor

A comparison of two unlike things A comparison of two unlike things withoutwithout using like or as.using like or as.

EXAMPLES:

Bob is a hungry wolf.Bob is compared to a wolf.Sue is a rose, filling the room with her sweet scent.Sue (or Sue’s scent) and rose are being compared.

Narrative PoetryNarrative Poetry

A story told in verse (a story in poem A story told in verse (a story in poem form)form)

EXAMPLE: EXAMPLE:

““Casey at the Bat” a poem about a Casey at the Bat” a poem about a baseball game and how one man could baseball game and how one man could win it or lose it.win it or lose it.

OnomatopoeiaOnomatopoeia

Words which imitate the sound they refer to.Words which imitate the sound they refer to.

EXAMPLES: The eagle whizzed past the buzzing bees.“whizzed” and “buzzing”

Rip-roar fire, the gun stutters on.“Rip-roar” and “stutters”

PersonificationPersonification

A type of metaphor in which non-human things A type of metaphor in which non-human things or ideas possess human qualities or actions.or ideas possess human qualities or actions.

Examples The wind whispered her name. Wind is being personified: “wind whispered”, because “wind” can’t actually “whisper.”Justice is blind. Justice is being personified: blind justice, because justice has no actual eyes that could be blinded.

RepetitionRepetition

A sound, word, phrase or sentence that A sound, word, phrase or sentence that is repeated in a story or poemis repeated in a story or poem

From “The Highwayman”From “The Highwayman”

“…“…and the highwayman came riding, and the highwayman came riding, riding, riding,riding, riding,

The highwayman came riding up to the The highwayman came riding up to the old inn door.” (riding & the highwayman)old inn door.” (riding & the highwayman)

Rhyme SchemeRhyme Scheme

A pattern of rhyme in a poem A pattern of rhyme in a poem

EXAMPLE:

Roses are red

Violets are blue

Sugar is sweet

And so are you!

A

B

C

B

SimileSimile A comparison of two unlike things using A comparison of two unlike things using

the words the words likelike or or asas..

EXAMPLES: Bob is hungry as a wolf.Bob and wolf are the two things being compared, using “as”

Sue smells like a rose.Sue & rose are the two things being compared, using “like”

SpeakerSpeaker

The imaginary voice of the poet in a The imaginary voice of the poet in a poempoem

Like a narratorLike a narrator

StanzaStanza

A formal division of lines in a poem A formal division of lines in a poem considered as a unitconsidered as a unit

Similar to a paragraph in prose Similar to a paragraph in prose (regular writing)(regular writing)