Glossary of Poetic Terms Flashcards
Anaphora
Repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of a line throughout a work
Assonance
Repetition of identical vowel sounds in different words in close proximity.
Example: deep green sea
Blank verse
Unrhymed iambic pentameter
Example: Shakespeare’s plays
Caesura
A short but definite pause used for effect with a line or poetry.
What is an abstract noun?
A name to describe things that have no physical qualities e.g Joy
What is a collective noun?
A name that refers to a group of people, animals or things
What are plosives?
Sounds which release suddent burst of air e.g p,b. t
Superlatives?
A word that emphasizes the extremes e.g best, worst
What is an end-stopped line?
A line ending in a full pause, usually indicated with a full-stop or semi colon
What is enjambment ?
A line having no end punctuation but running over to the next line?
What is a foot?
A measured combination of heavy and light stresses. A pentameter = five feet
What is a reversed foot?
Look for a stressed syllable at the beginning of a line, for example a two syllable word, like whether, where you have to pronounce the first syllable. Creates a sense of disruption, possibly forcefulness
What is a weak ending?
- Look for lines where the final syllable is unstressed, eg a two syllable word where you can’t stress the second syllable. Anticlimactic, could be unsure or even comic
What is verse?
We know something is in verse when each line begins with a capital
What does it mean if something is emphatically placed?
At the beginning or end of a line
