| A | B |
|---|
| Image | Words in a poem that create an picture in the reader's head by using sensory details. Usually it contains a metaphor, a simile, or a personification. |
| Figurative Language | Language in a poem that is not "literal." The language doesn't really mean what it says, but suggests an alternative meaning. Usually includes the figures of speech such as metaphor, simile, and personification. |
| metaphor | A comparison between something abstract (something you can't see or touch) with something concrete (something you can see or touch) without using the words "like" or "as." EX: "You're my kryptonite." |
| extended metaphor | A comparison that controls the meaning of several lines of poetry, or even the whole poem. |
| simile | A comparison between something abstract (something you can't see or touch) and something concrete (something you can see or touch) that uses the words "like" or "as." EX: "My love is like a red, red rose" |
| personification | A comparison that gives human-like qualities to a thing. EX: "The fog crawled across the valley." |
| animalification | When animal-like qualities are given to things. EX: "The fog slithered across the valley like a snake." |
| allusion | When a poet refers to an earlier piece of literature or moment in history in his or her poem. For example, when Three Doors Down refer to Superman in their song. |
| alliteration | The repetition of initial consonant sounds in a line of poetry. EX: "The beautiful bouncing baby boy." |
| sibilance | The repetition of initial "s" sounds in a line of poetry. EX: "Several saucy sisters." |
| onomatopoeia | Using letters to create words that sound like what they're naming. EX: "Bam! Boom!" are words that sound like the sounds they're naming. |
| denotation | The direct, dictionary definiton of a word. |
| connotation | The associations and feelings people have for a word, even if they're not in the dictionary. |
| lyric poem | A poem in which the author expresses personal feelings. |
| narrative poem | A poem that tells a story. |
| rhyme | Repetition of ending sounds. EX: "The BOY threw the TOY." |
| chorus | Repeated set of four or five lines in a song. |
| verse | Set of four or five lines in a song that's not repeated. |
| bridge | Set of four or five lines in a song that's not repeated and follows a different musical pattern than either the chorus or the verses. Provides a transition between parts of the song. |
| slant rhyme | Repetition of ending sounds except for the final consonant. EX: "The BOY'S TOIL." |
| symbol | Element in a poem that stands for something else. EX: In "Two Roads" by Robert Frost the roads stand for the decisions we make in life. |
| hyperbole | An exaggeration created for literary effect. EX: "I took a walk around the world." |
