| A | B |
|---|
| Alliteration | the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words; e.g.- "wild winds of winter" |
| allusion | a reference to a historical or fictional person, place, or event with which the reader is assumed to be familiar |
| blank verse | unrhymed poetry written in iambic pentameter |
| couplet | a rhymed pair of lines |
| dramatic monologue | a lyric poem in which a speaker addresses a silent or absent listener |
| elegy | an extended meditative poem in which the speaker reflects on death |
| metaphor | figure of speech; a comparison between two things which are basically unlike one another but have something in common |
| figurative language | communicates beyond the literal meaning of words; impressionistic; used in both prose and poetry |
| free verse | no regular pattern of rhythm or rhyme |
| iambic pentameter | metrical line of five feet consisting of two syllables per foot; the accent is on the second syllable of each foot; this is the most common form of meter in the English language |
| imagery | words/phrases which create vivid sensory images for the reader |
| lyric poem | short poem; a single speaker expresses thoughts/feelings; meant to be sung in ancient days |
| metaphysical poetry | Characteristically of the 17th century; John Donne; approached subjects such as religion, death, and love by analyzing them logically and philisophically |
| meter | repetition of a regular rhythmic unit of poetry; emphasizes the musical quality of poetry;23. a pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in a line of poetry |
| narrative poem | tells a story; e.g. Beowulf/The Iliad |
| ode | exhalted, complex lyric that develops a serious/dignified tone |
| onomatopoeia | use of words whose sounds echo their meanings |
| quatrain | four-line stanza; a unit of poetry |
| octave | the first eight lines of a poem in a Petrarchan sonnet; a part of a Petrarchan sonnet |
| repetition | the act of repeating a word, line or verse for emphasis and unity in poetry |
| rhyme | 3. the sounds of accented vowels and all succeeding sounds are identical |
| sonnet | 18. a lyric poem of 14 lines written in iambic pentameter which has a particular rhyme scheme |
| theme | 9. the main idea or message of a piece of literature |
| rhyme scheme | 20. the pattern of end rhyme in a poem |
| symbol | 17. a person, place, object, or activity that stands for something beyond itself |
| apostrophe | 13. a lyric poem in which a speaker addresses a silent or absent listener in a moment of high intensity |
| sonnet | 18. a lyric poem of 14 lines written in iambic pentameter which has a particular rhyme scheme |
| personification | 25. giving human characteristics to animals or inanimate objects |
| wordplay | 7. intentional use of more than one meaning of a word |
| foot | a unit of meter |
| pastoral | 21. a poem presenting shepherds in rural settings |
| tone | 24. the attitude a writer takes towards a subject |
| stanza | 2. a group of lines that form a unit in a poem |
| hyperbole | 1. a figure of speech in which the truth is exaggerated for humorous effect |
| simile | a comparison of two unlike things using like or as |
| rhythm | 23. a pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in a line of poetry |
