features in poetry Flashcards
alliteration
words that start with the same sound
ambiguity
a word or phrase has two or more possible meanings
assonance
words that share the same vowel sound but the consonants are different (eg. feet and weep)
ballad
a form of poetry that tells a story that should be remembered, often set to music
blank verse
a verse of poetry written in iambic pentameter that doesn’t rhyme
caesura
a pause in the middle of a line
colloquial
written and sounds like everyday spoken language
consonance
repetition of a consonant sound
direct speech
words that have been said by someone
dramatic monologue
a form of poetry that uses the voice of a single speaker who is not the poet to address an implied audience
emotive language
words that cause a particular emotion
enjambment
when a sentence or phrase runs over from one line or stanza to the next
euphemism
indirectly meaning one thing which could cause upset or offense
free verse
poetry that doesn’t rhyme and has no regular rhythm
half-rhymes
words that have a similar end sound (eg. shade, said)
hyperbole
an exaggerated statement not meant to be taken literally
iambic pentameter
poetry with ten syllables per line, five stressed, five unstressed, alternating
iambic tetrameter
poetry with eight syllables per line, four stressed, four unstressed, alternating
imagery
creates an image of something in your head, can be composed of similes, metaphors etc
internal rhyme
two words rhyming in the same line
irony
words used in a sarcastic or comedic way to imply the opposite, or can mean a difference between expectations and reality
layout
the visual presentation of the poem
metaphor
saying one thing IS another when it really isn’t
onomatopoeia
a word that sounds like the thing it is describing
oxymoron
a phrase which contradicts itself
personification
assigning human qualities to an inanimate thing
Petrarchan sonnet
a sonnet where the first eight lines are ABBA rhyme scheme and introduce a problem, and then the final six lines have a different rhyme scheme and solve the presented problem
plosive
a short burst of sound when saying the letters b, d, g, k, p and t
quatrain
a four line stanza
refrain
a line or stanza that is repeated
rhetorical question
a question that doesn’t need a response, but makes or emphasises a point
rhyming couplet
a pair of rhyming lines that are next to each other
rhyming triplet
three rhyming lines that are next to each other
rhythm
a pattern of sounds made by the arrangement of stressed and unstressed syllables
second person
when the narrator speaks directly to another person, using ‘you’ etc
sibilance
repetition of ‘s’ and ‘sh’ sounds
simile
comparing one thing to another using ‘like’ or ‘as’
sonnet
a form of poem with fourteen lines, that usually follows a clear rhyme scheme and is usually love poetry
stanza
the verses in a poem; a group of lines
syntax
the arrangement of words in a sentence or phrase so that they makes sense
voice
the personality of the narrator of the poem
volta
a turning point in a poem, when the tone or argument changes dramatically
