English - poem devices Flashcards
Stanza
a group of lines within a poem
rhyming couplet
a pair of lines in poetry, of a similar length that rhyme
tercet
a stanza of 3 lines
quatrain
a stanza of four lines
quintain
a stanza of five lines
caesura
a pause near the middle of the line
enjambment
a sentence that runs from one line onto the next
meter
a pattern of stresses and unstressed syllables
volta
a dramatic shift or change in a poem
cyclical
a type of structure which ends where it begins
alliteration
words that begin with the same letter
assonance
words that have syllables which use the same vowel sounds
hyperbole
an exaggerated statement
irony
language to signify the direct opposite of something for comedic affect
iambic pentameter
a line of five metrical feet, each consisting of an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable
metaphor
comparing one thig to another due to its similar nature
simile
comparing one thing to another using ‘like’ or ‘as’, due to its similar nature
repetition
the recurrence of a word
rhyme
the last word of a line corresponding in sound with the last word of another line
onomatopoeia
a word that sounds like the thing it is named after
oxymoron
2 words that are next to each other which contradict each other
sibilance
repeated use of a words that start with ‘s’
juxtaposition
a contrast within a phrase
personification
when non-living objects are given human characteristics
rhetorical question
a question that isn’t meant to be answered
plosive
an abrupt bursting sound
pathetic fallacy
when the natural world is treated as though it has human emotions
anaphora
the repetition of the beginning of a line
cacophony
the repetition of harsh sounds containing consonants
synaesthesia
blending human senses within a phrase
