Other Terms Associated with the Analysis of Poetry Flashcards
allusion
an indirect reference to a well-known work of art, literary work, person, place, event, song, etc
analogy
another word for “comparison,” saying something is analogous to something means that it is similar to, or easily compared with, that thing
cliché
a word, phrase, or idea that has been used so much over time that it has lost any impact it may have originally carried; can be used as a noun or as an adjective; as an adjective it is synonymous with hackneyed or trite
colloquial
informal speech or writing, not generally accepted in formal or academic speech or writing; similar to vernacular
denotation
the actual definition of a word or phrase
connotations
implied additional meanings of a word or phrase, beyond the actual definition; includes all of the associations carried by the word
diction
word choice; phrasing
dissonace
harsh or disagreeable combination of sounds; sometimes figuratively used to refer to a harsh combination of ideas, as well
doggerel
derogatory term for “bad” poetry; short pieces of verse without obvious style and little artistic merit; clumsy verse
epiphany
a sudden moment of understanding or enlightenment
irony
general term for literary techniques that involve differences between appearance and reality, expectation and result, or meaning and intention
verbal irony
what is said (or written) is more-or-less the opposite of what is actually meant
situational irony
what occurs defies the expectations of the reader, or a character
dramatic irony
occurs when the reader knows something that one or more of the characters does not know
juxtaposition
normally unassociated ideas, words, or phrases are placed near one another for a purposeful effect
mock
“making fun of”
ex. a mock epic is an epic poem written as a spoof on actual epic poems–it uses all of the conventions of the epic but does so in a sarcastic or ironic way
paradox
occurs when an apparent contradiction contains truth
ex. “Youth is wasted on the young.”
parody
a form of satire that imitates another work of art in order to ridicule it
pathos
a writer or speaker’s attempt to inspire an emotional reaction in an audience–usually a deep feeling of suffering or sorrow
point-of-view
the vantage from which a poem is narrated
rhetorical shift
a shift in a poem’s tone or style
sarcasm
verbal irony used to show disapproval, to mock or scorn something
satire
a literary tone or work used to make fun of human vice or weakness often with the hope or intent of changing or correcting the behavior
sensory language
AKA imagery
speaker
the voice “telling” the poem
syntax
the order/arrangement of words in a line of poetry (or in a sentence)
theme
the main idea(s) expressed in a work of poetry
tone
the poet’s attitude as conveyed through the poem
vernacular
everyday spoken language; similar to colloquial
