Elements of Poetry Flashcards
Blanked verse
Is poetry written with a precise meter—almost always iambic pentameter—that does not
rhyme.
Free verse
It is poetry that lacks a consistent rhyme scheme, metrical pattern, or musical form.
Rhymed poetry
In contrast to blank verse, rhyme poems rhyme by definition, although their scheme varies.
Epics
An epic poem is a lengthy, narrative work of poetry. These long poems typically detail
extraordinary feats and adventures of characters from a distant past.
Narrative poetry
Similar to an epic, a narrative poem tells a story. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s “The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere” and Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner”.
Haiku
Is a three-line poetic form originating in Japan. The first line has five syllables, the second line has seven syllables, and the third line again has five syllables.
Pastoral poetry
It is one that concerns the natural world, rural life, and landscapes.
Sonnet
A sonnet is a 14-line poem, typically (but not exclusively) concerning the topic of love. Sonnets contain internal rhymes within their 14 lines; the exact rhyme scheme depends on the style of a sonnet.
Elegies
It is a poem that reflects upon death or loss. Traditionally, it contains themes of mourning, loos and reflection. However, it can also explore themes of redemption and consolation.
Ode
Much like an elegy, an ode is a tribute to its subject, although the subject need not be dead-or even sentient, as in John Keats’
“Ode on a Grecian Urn”..
Limerick
is a five-line poem that consists of a single stanza, an AABBA rhyme scheme, and whose subject is a short, pithy tale or description.
Lyric poetry
Lyric poetry refers to the broad
category of poetry that concerns
feelings and emotion. This distinguishes it from two other poetic categories: epic and dramatic.
Ballad
A ballad (or ballade) is a form of narrative verse that can be either poetic or musical. It typically follows a pattern of rhymed quatrains.
Soliloquy
is a monologue in which a character speaks to him or herself, expressing inner thoughts that an audience might
not otherwise known. Soliloquies are not definitionally
poems, although they often can be.
Villanelle
A nineteen-line poem consisting of five tercets and a quatrain, with a highly specified internal rhyme scheme. Originally a variation on a pastoral, the villanelle has evolved to describe
obsessions and other intense subject matters.
