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WEST-E English Language Arts Test > Figurative Language & Poetry Terminology > Flashcards

Figurative Language & Poetry Terminology Flashcards

Definitions of figurative language terms, terms used in discussing poetry, and various types of poems

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Proverbs and Idioms flashcards
1
Q

Alliteration

A

initial sounds of a word repeated in close succession, ex: people who pen poetry

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2
Q

Antithesis

A

Juxtaposition of conflicting ideas in balanced phrases, ex: speech is silver; silence is gold OR man proposes, God disposes

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3
Q

Aphorism

A

Similar to a proverb. Short truism about life. Ex: Whatever is begun in anger ends in shame” Ben Franklin

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4
Q

Apostrophe

A

Addressing an absent or dead person, inanimate object, or abstract idea

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5
Q

Assonance

A

matching the vowel sounds of nearby words, ex: tune and food

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6
Q

Bathos

A

a ludicrous attempt to portray pathos (evoke pity or sympathy)

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7
Q

Blank Verse

A

unrhymed iambic pentamenter

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8
Q

Caesura

A

A pause in a line of poetry, usually signified by punctuation, ex: “to err is human, to forgive, divine”

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9
Q

Climax

A

A number of phrases or sentences arranged in ascending order of forcefulness

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10
Q

Conceit

A

a comparison, usually in poetry, of two very different objects or concepts, ex: John Donne compares making love to getting a flea bite

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11
Q

Connotation

A

the implications and associations of a given word, distinct from its literal or denotive meaning

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12
Q

Consonance

A

repeating similar consonant sounds, both at the beginning of words and within words, ex: sally sat sifting sea-shells

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13
Q

Couplet

A

two rhyming lines of poetry

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14
Q

Denotation

A

what a word literally means, as opposed to its connotative meaning

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15
Q

Diction

A

word choice - choosing among synonyms the most effective word for your purpose

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16
Q

Epiphany

A

the moment when something is realized

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17
Q

Euphemism

A

using an inoffensive term in place of one that might offend, ex: passed away instead of died

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18
Q

Exposition

A

The plot element that precedes the buildup of conflict, when the background information of characters is given

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19
Q

Free Verse

A

Poetry with no set meter

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20
Q

Hyperbole

A

Exaggeration for specific effect

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21
Q

Iambic Pentameter

A

a poetic meter consisting of 5 iambs (two syllables, first unaccented, second accented)

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22
Q

Imagery

A

A word or sequence of words that refers to any sensory experience, with the intent of making the experience available to the reader

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23
Q

Inversion

A

atypical sentence order

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24
Q

Verbal Irony

A

when what is written is unexpectedly different from what is actually meant

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25
Q

Dramatic Irony

A

when an audience perceives something the characters do not

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26
Q

Situational Irony

A

Discrepancy between the expected results and the actual results, as in many of O Henry’s short stories

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27
Q

Kenning

A

Another way to describe a noun - whale’s way instead of ocean
- a feature of early Anglo-Saxon literature like Beowulf

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28
Q

Malapropism

A

a verbal blunder that replaces an intended word with a similar sounding word, ex: pineapple of success instead of pinnacle of success

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29
Q

Metaphor

A

a comparison between two things, without like or as

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30
Q

Metaphysical Poetry

A

poetry characterized by wit, imagery, and conceits

- JOhn Donne and other 17th century Brits

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31
Q

Metonymy

A

representing another object by use of a closely related object, ex: hitting the books to mean study

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32
Q

Motif

A

a key, oft-repeated phrase or idea in a work

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33
Q

Octava Rima

A

an eight-line stanza of poetry whose rhyme scheme is abababcc

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34
Q

Onomatopoeia

A

the meaning and the sound of the word reflect each other, ex: buzz, hiss

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35
Q

Oxymoron

A

A contradiction in terms, ex: wise folly, jumbo shrimp

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36
Q

Paradox

A

Seemingly untrue statement that proves to be true when closely examined

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37
Q

Parallelism

A

a type of close repetition of clauses or phrases that emphasizes key ideas

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38
Q

Personification

A

giving human characteristics to an inanimate object, animal, or abstract quality

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39
Q

Quatrain

A

four line poetic stanza

40
Q

Shakespearean Sonnet

A

14 line poem made up of 3 quatrains (abab cdcd efef) and a heroic couplet (gg). the division of the lines often reflects the division of thought. there may be three examples and a conclusion or three statements plus and application
- aka Elizabethan Sonnet

41
Q

Petrarchan Sonnet

A

14 line poem made up of an 8 line grouping (octave, abbaabba) and a 6 line grouping (sestet, cdccdc or cdecde). the division of the lines reflects the thought - often the octave presents a question and the sestet the answer
- aka Italian Sonnet

42
Q

Spenserian Stanza

A

8 lines of iambic pentameter followed by a ninth line, called an alexandrine (iambic, with an 6th foot)
- invented for The Faerie Queen, epic poem by Edmund Spenser, honoring Elizabeth 1st.

43
Q

Scansion

A

analyzing a poetic line for type of meter and number of feet, to “scan” a line of poetry

44
Q

Slant Rhyme

A

a “not quite” rhyme, ex: green and gone

45
Q

Similie

A

A direct comparison between two things using like and as, ex: my love is like a red-red rose

46
Q

Soliloquy

A

a speech in drama expressing a character’s perspective, character is usaully alone on stage, ex: hamlet’s to be or not to be soliloquy

47
Q

Sprung Rhythm

A

a variable meter than mimics speech
- invented by Gerard Manley Hopkins, as in “Pied Beauty” - first syllable is stressed followed by a variable number of unstressed syllables.

48
Q

Stream of Consciousness

A

a writing technique that reflects the mental processes of the characters, expressing jumbled memories, dreams, feelings, etc.
- william faulkner and james joyce both used

49
Q

Symbolism

A

a symbol is an object that stands for something else, ex: lion stands for courage.

50
Q

Synecdoche

A

a figure of speech in which the word for part of something is used to represent the whole, ex: sail for boat

51
Q

Terza Rima

A

a series of poetic stanzas that use the recurrent rhyme scheme of aba, bcb, cdc, etc. An italian form used by some of the later Romantic poets

52
Q

Tone

A

the discernible attitude in a work, ex: the satirical tone of A Modest Proposal or an admiring tone

53
Q

Wit

A

writing of genius, keenness, and wisdom, expressed with clever language

54
Q

Didactic Poetry

A

poetry designed to teach a lesson

55
Q

Rhyme Scheme

A

the pattern of rhyming sounds in a poem

56
Q

Carpe Diem

A

poetry that emphasizes the shortness of life and the need to enjoy the present. the phrase means “seize the day.” often used as a seduction poem

57
Q

Syntax

A

the way words are put together to form phrases, clauses, or sentences
examples of syntax formulas include inversion, series, active or passive voices, etc

58
Q

Parody

A

a humorous, mocking imitation of another work

59
Q

Anaphora

A

the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses, often used in parallelism

60
Q

Protest Poetry

A

expresses disapproval or dissent, often about a government action or policy that the average person is unable to prevent

61
Q

Pastoral

A

poem that romanticizes rural life or appraises the natural world

62
Q

Ballad

A

Narrative poem that was originally intended to be sung. Usually consist of four-line stanzas, with the second and fourth line rhyming

63
Q

Visual poem

A

poem that draws much of its power from the appearance of the poem as a shape

64
Q

Epigram

A

a short, pithy saying, ex: “I am not young enough to know everything.” Oscar Wilde

65
Q

Clerihew

A

a whimsical, four line biographical poem. pokes fun at mostly famous people. lines are irregular in length and rhymes aabb.
- invented by Edmund Bentley

66
Q

Enjambment

A

the running-over of a sentence of phrase from one poetic line to the next, the opposite of end-stopped

67
Q

End-Stopped

A

when a phrase or sentence ends at the end of a line of poetry and is indicated by end punctuation

68
Q

Explication

A

close analysis of a poem, clarifying how figurative language and other poetic elements contribute to the meaning and effect of a poem

69
Q

Villanelle

A

a fixed form of 19 lines divided into six stanzas - five tercets and a concluding quatrain. The tercets are all rhymed aba, and the quatrain is abaa. The first and third lines are alternately repeated as a refrain, and make up the last two lines of the quatrain.

  • originally a dance song with rustic theme and no form
  • dylan thomas “do not go gentle into that good night” is one example
70
Q

Meter

A

describes and measures the rhythm of a poem

71
Q

poetic foot

A

the unit repeated to create a steady rhythm in a poem. usually two or three syllables in length and composed of accented and unaccented syllables

72
Q

Iambic Foot (iamb)

A

unstressed syllable, stressed syllable, ex: insist

- most English poetry. All sonnets.

73
Q

Trochaic Foot (trochee)

A

the inverse of the iamb. stressed followed by an unstressed syllable. ex: instant

74
Q

Anapestic Foot (anapest)

A

two unstressed syllables followed by a stressed syllable, ex: Cameroom
- twas the NIGHT before CHRISTmas and ALL through the HOUSE…

75
Q

Dactylic Foot (dactyl)

A

stressed syllable followed by two unstressed syllables, ex: Washington
- HIG-gle-dee, PIG-le-dee, President Jefferson gave up the ghost on the fourth of july…

76
Q

Spondaic Foot (spondee)

A

two successive stressed syllables, ex: football

- usually used occasionally in a poem that otherwise consists of a different foot

77
Q

Ictus

A

Designates the accented syllable ( ‘ )

78
Q

Mora

A

Designates the unaccented syllable (U)

79
Q

Monometer

A

one metrical foot per line (rare)

ex: thus I / pass by / and die …

80
Q

Dimeter

A

two metrical feet per line (rare)

81
Q

Trimeter

A

three metrical feet per line

82
Q

Tetrameter

A

four metrical feet per line

83
Q

Pentameter

A

Five metrical feet per line (as in sonnets)

84
Q

Hexameter

A

Six metrical feet per line

85
Q

Heptameter

A

seven metrical feet per line (rare)

86
Q

Narrative Poetry

A

poem that tells a story. has features of poetry like meter and rhyme, but also the features of stories like characters and plot

87
Q

Lyric Poetry

A

Poetry that has a musical quality

88
Q

Spenserian Sonnet

A

A form of the English sonnet. follows the quatrain couplet form, but the rhyme scheme is different (abab bcbc cdcd ee). Created by Edmund Spenser. Do not confuse with Spenserian stanza, also created by Edmund Spenser.

89
Q

Limerick

A

a form of short, humerous verse, often nonsensical or ribald. 5 lines rhyming aabba. Metrical foot is variable anapestic. The first two lines and the last line all have three feet while the third and fourth only have two.

90
Q

Cinquain

A

five line poem created by Adelaide Crapsey, syllables 2,4,6,8,2. Mostly iambic.

91
Q

Haiku

A

unrhymed Japanese form. three lines, syllables 5,7,5. Originally subject matter dealt with nature.

92
Q

Ode

A

A lyrical stanza in praise of, or dedicated to someone or something

93
Q

Meiosis

A

Understatement

94
Q

Diamante

A

a 7 line poem that takes the form of a diamond and is made up of primarily individual nouns, adjectives, and verbs

95
Q

Falling Rhythm

A

Rhythmic pattern in which the stress regularly occurs in the first syllable of each foot, as in “jack and Jill went up the hill…”

96
Q

Rising Rhythm

A

Rhythmic pattern in which the stress regularly occurs on the last syllable of each foot, as in “they danced by the light of the moon”

WEST-E English Language Arts Test (3 decks)

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