| A | B |
|---|
| dialect | A form of language specific to a region or group |
| meter | A line of verse in poetry made up of long and short syllables |
| iambics | A type of poetic meter which most closely resembles regular Greek speech, of used for satire and invective |
| invective | The literary term used for insulting or abusive language ("dissing") |
| elegaics | A poetry type often written in couplets, used for strong emotions associated with travel, love, funerals, war |
| foot | The basic unit of measure in poetry; common types are dactyls, spondees, trochees and iambs |
| lyrics | Poems sung or chanted to a lyre (sometimes called melics) |
| monody | A short, informal poetic form sung by one person - was the forerunner of speeches in tragedy |
| choral lyrics | A longer formal and complicated poetic form used at formal occasions both civic and sacred like festivals, funerals and weddings |
| bucolics | Also called pastorals. A common Hellenistic poetry form that was goat-intensive |
| dactyllic hexameter | The meter used for epic poetry |
| dithyramb | The poetic type of song and dance that opened dramatic festivals - performed in honor of Dionysos |
| satyr play | The comedic ending performance following the last tragedy in a trilogy |
| onomatopoeia | A word made up from the sound that something makes like "sizzle" |
| rhapsode | Also called bards. Poets who would sing or chant poems often to a lyre or flute accompaniment |
| metaphor | A type of figurative language that shows one thing being similar to another, often for rhetorical effect. |
| simile | A type of figurative language which compares one thing to another using the terms "like" or "as" |
| epigram | An especially popular type of elegaic that was short, witty and often had an ingenious ending |
| formulas | Key words or phrases that are used repeatedly in epic poetry to help aid memorization |
| invocation | A supplication, calling on or summoning of a deity. The typical opening of an epic poem. |
