| A | B |
|---|
| alliteration | the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words |
| analyze | to examine closely |
| connotation | The images and feelings that a reader connects with a word; its emotional associations |
| denotation | The dictionary, or literal, meaning of a word |
| distinguish | to mark off as different |
| figurative language | words used in an imaginative way to express ideas by comparison or suggestion, rather than by literal concrete meanings. Figurative language includes figures of speech, such as simile and metaphor. |
| form | poetry is distinguished by form, such as ballad, free verse, ode, lyrical, etc. |
| generalizations | a broad statement about a class or category of people, things, or ideas based on a study of some of its members; should be based on facts and/or observations |
| imagery | a collection of sensations, or images |
| inference | the process of making logical guesses based on evidence and one’s own personal knowledge and experience |
| onomatopoeia | the use of words whose sounds echo their meanings, Example: Grunting, snorting, oinking, snarling, the 300-pound pig stopped at the corral gate. |
| repetition | the use of the same word or phrase more than once for emphasis |
| rhyme | a word pair or set whose accented vowel sounds are identical |
| rhyme scheme | a pattern of end rhyme in a poem |
| sound devices | the use of sound by poets through rhyme, rhythm, alliteration, onomatopoeia, assonance, consonance, etc |
| style | the way a particular work is written—not what is said, but how it is said |
| types of poetry | some different types of poetry include haiku, free verse, sonnet, ode, lyric poetry, narrative poetry, ballad, cinquain, etc. |
| voice | unique way of expressing one’s thoughts and ideas in writing |
| word choice | a writer’s use of words |
| contributes | to play a significant part in bringing about an end or result |
| assonance | repetition of vowel sounds in the stressed syllables of words, Example: her last lap caused a collapse |
| consonance | repetition of consonant sounds within and at the end of words, Example: a last chance to listen flutes |
| free verse | poetry with no regular pattern of rhyme, rhythm, or line length. In free verse, thoughts are written in the form of conversation |
| lyric poetry | a poem in which a speaker expresses thoughts and feelings |
| main idea | the most important idea in a paragraph or literary work |
| metaphor | use of language to compare two unlike things, without using the words like or as. |
| meter | the repetition of a regular rhythmic unit in poetry |
| mood | the feeling or atmosphere the writer creates for the reader |
| ode | a lyric poem of a serious or meditative nature that aims to elevate its subject An ode may be about any single person, place, object, event, or idea. Often, the subject is an inanimate or ordinary object, seen anew. |
| paraphrase | a restatement of text or passage that gives the meaning in another way |
| personification | a figure of speech in which human qualities are given to an object, animal, or idea |
| poetic elements | the writing techniques poets use to create an effect in poetry. Examples: repetition, rhyme, rhythm, alliteration, assonance, etc. |
| poetic form | the elements of poetry used by a poet, such as rhyme, meter, rhythm, stanzas, punctuation or capitalization, sound patterns, etc. |
| rhythm | pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in poetry |
| sensory details | words and phrases that a writer uses to appeal to one or more of the five senses-seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, and tasting-so that a reader can form images in his or her mind |
| simile | a figure of speech that compares two unlike things, using the words like or as. |
| sonnet | the use of sound by poets through rhyme, rhythm, alliteration, onomatopoeia, assonance, consonance, etc |
| speaker | in a poem, the voice that addresses, or talks to, the reader. The speaker is not necessarily the poet. |
| stanza | a group of lines that form a unit in a poem. Sonnet stanzas may be octaves (eight lines) and sestets (six lines) or quatrains (four lines) and couplets (two rhyming lines). |
| tone | a writer's attitude towards his or her subject. |
| visualize | to form a mental image |
| vivid imagery | clear images created by word choice and other literary techniques |
| theme | the meaning or moral of a literary work |
| narrative poem | a poem that tells a story or recounts events |
