| A | B |
|---|
| alliteration | repetition of initial consonant sounds |
| allusion | reference to another work of literature, art, music or history |
| apostrophe | poet speaks directly to an idea, object, or person who is not present |
| ballad | short, simple, narrative poem |
| blank verse | no rhyme; usually iambic pentameter |
| couplet | 2 line verse, usually in the same meter and joined by rhyme, that form a unit |
| elegy | poem of lament or serious meditation |
| epithet | brief descriptive phrase used like a name |
| figurative language | writing or speech that is not meant to be interpreted literally |
| figure of speech | expression or word used imaginatively rather than literally |
| free verse | poetry not written in a regular rhythmical pattern, but has a varying rhythm that suits its meaning and lines of varying lengths |
| haiku | Japanese poem of 3 lines of 5, 7 and 5 syllables |
| hyperbole | exaggeration |
| imagery | using words or phrases that appeal to one or more of the senses to create sensory experiences |
| irony | literary technique involving surprising, amusing or interesting contradictions |
| epic | narrative poem with a series of heroic exploits |
| literary ballad | immitates ballad form and uses much symbolism |
