Poetic Devices Flashcards
metric line of poetry
verse
two-line group of poetry
couplet
running over of a sentence or thought from one line to another
enjambment
a line that ends with a natural speech pause, usually marked by punctuation
end-stopped line
repetition of a consonant at the beginning of words
alliteration
repetition of consonant sounds in the middle or ends of words
consonance
repetition of vowel sounds in non-rhyming words
assonance
words that imitate natural sounds
onomatopoeia
a harsh, discordant, unpleasant-sounding choice and arrangement of sounds
cacaphony
a smooth, pleasant-sounding choice and arrangement of sounds
euphony
a word whose sound, by an obscure process, to some degree suggests its meaning. As differentiated from onomatopoetic words, the meanings of phonetic intensives do not refer explicitly to sounds
phonetic intensive
the recurrence of words, phrases, or lines
repetition
part of a stanza repeated regularly (often at end of stanzas)
refrain
the repetition of an opening word of phrase in a series of lines
anaphora
a speech pause occurring within a line, either grammatical or rhetorical
caesura
the reordering of the usual word order
inversion
pattern or beat of stressed and unstressed syllables
rhythm
sound of accented vowels and all subsequent sounds are same
rhyme
a rhyme in which the repeated accented vowel sound is in the final syllable of the words involved
masculine rhyme
a rhyme in which the repeated accented vowel sound is in either the second or third last syllable of the words involved
feminine rhyme
“off-rhyme:” the vowel sounds are similar but not indentical
slant rhyme
rhyming of words at the end of two or more lines
end rhyme
rhyming words that appear in the same line
internal rhyme
the process of measuring metrical verse, that is, of marking accented and I accented syllables, dividing the lines into feet, identifying the metrical, and noting significant variations from that pattern
scansion
poetry that does NOT have a regular meter or rhyme scheme
free verse
words and phrases that re-create vivid sensory experiences
imagery
comparison using “like” or “as”
simile
a comparison WITHOUT using “like” or “as”
metaphor
figure of speech in which human qualities are attributed to animals, inanimate objects, or ideas
personification
when a poem speaks to something/someone who cannot respond
apostrophe
a reference to something with which the reader should be familiar
allusion
a compact verbal paradox in which two successive words contradict one another
oxymoron
a statement or situation containing apparently contradictory or incompatible elements
paradox
the use of something closely related for the thing actually meant
metonymy
the use of the part for the whole
synecdoche
a figure of speech (usually metaphor, simile, personification, or apostrophe) sustained or developed through a considerable number of lines through a whole poem
extended figure
a deliberate, extravagant, and often outrageous exaggeration that may be used for serious of comic effect
hyperbole
the opposite of hyperbole; a type of irony that deliberately represents something as being much less than it really is
understatement
the use of words in a literary work: formal, informal, colloquial, or slang
diction
the ordering of words into patterns or sentences; if a poet shifts from the usual word order it is an older style of poetry or a poet who wants to shift emphasis on a particular word
syntax
something that is simultaneously itself and a sign of something else
symbol
literal or dictionary meaning of a word
denotation
emotions or feelings a word can arouse in a reader
connotation
the manner in which the author expresses his or her attitude; the intonation of the voice that expresses meaning
tone
a poem that tells a story
narrative
a poem which employs a dramatic form or some elements of dramatic techniques as a means of achieving poetic ends, like a dramatic monologue
dramatic
a long poem that recounts adventures of heroic figures in polished, elevated language
epic
poem that communicates emotion
lyric
a poem which is intended primarily to teach a lesson
didactic
a formal poem mourning the death of a certain individual
elegy
a poem that praises someone or something
ode
a division of poetry; a group of lines of poetry
stanza
a figure of speech characterized by strongly contrasting words, clauses, sentences or ideas; it is balancing of one term against another for emphasis or stylistic effectiveness
antithesis
