English Poetry Definitions Flashcards
What is alliteration?
Repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words that are closely related
What is Analogy?
One whole situation is used to represent another
What is Connotation
A word suggests something in addition to its ordinary meaning
Eg, Father, dad, daddy
What is ellipsis
The use of 3 dots… usually indicates a pause
What is Euphemism
A polite or softer way of saying something
What is humour
Used to elicit a response from the audience
What is hyperbole
Exaggeration for effect
What is Imagery
Poets use words to create mental images. Imagery is referring to how the poet chooses words to create specific mental images
What is Irony
When what is said isn’t quite what it is meant. Sarcasm is a form of irony
What is Juxtaposition
When two things are placed side by side to emphasise their differences.
What is metaphor
Comparing/identifying one thing directly with another
Eg, his eyes are the stars in the sky
What is modality
Word choice for specific effect
What is onomatopoeia
The word itself mimics the sound it is making
Opposites
Not all words have absolute opposites
Oxymoron
Two words together that’s don’t usually go together or are opposites
Eg, the screaming silence
What is persona
Where the poet writes from another person or thing’s point of view. The voice in the poem-the character that the author/poem adopts
What is personification
Human qualities/emotions given to non-human things
What is repetition
When something is stated more than once in a poem
Words,phrases, lines and stanzas
What is a rhetorical question
A question that is asked for effect that doesn’t require an answer
What is rhyme
The last syllable of the line has the same sound as that of another line
What is rhythm
The beat of the poem usually used to enhance meaning or tone
What is simile
A comparison using like or as
What is structure
The way the poem is put together -the sequence
What is a stanza
Called a verse in a song the poem is broken into stanzas
What is theme
What the poem is actually about- the ideas and attitudes in the poem
What is tone
The overall mood of the poem is created through tone often described in emotions
- sad, optimistic,solemn,peaceful,sarcastic
