poetic devices

Question 1

lyric

Answer 1

a category that expresses thoughts/feelings/emotions of the poet. includes many forms (haikus, sonnets, ballads)

Question 2

metaphor

Answer 2

a comparison between 2 unlike objects without using like or as

Question 3

onomatopoeia

Answer 3

a word that spells the sound it makes. ex: bam

Question 4

oxymoron

Answer 4

2 contradictory terms/words used for emphasis. ex: pretty ugly

Question 5

personification

Answer 5

giving a non-living thing human like qualities

Question 6

refrain

Answer 6

phrases or lines repeated after every stanza (chorus)

Question 7

rhyme scheme

Answer 7

pattern of rhyme. ex: abab or aabbcc

Question 8

rhythm

Answer 8

the ‘beat’ of a poem as we naturally read words/lines

Question 9

simile

Answer 9

comparison of 2 objects using like or as

Question 10

stanza

Answer 10

groups of lines in poetry (mini paragraphs)

Question 11

tone

Answer 11

the emotion that a poet is feeling or expressing through a poem. ex: bitter, witty

Question 12

alliteration

Answer 12

repeating consonant sounds at the beginning of words in a line or several of poetry

Question 13

allusion

Answer 13

making a reference to a literary, social or political event/work/person

Question 14

assonance

Answer 14

repeating vowel sounds in words in a line or several of poetry

Question 15

ballad

Answer 15

a poem that consists of a series of 4-line stanzas, rhymed, has rhythm and tells a story. rhyme scheme: abab, cdcd, etc

Question 16

blank verse

Answer 16

unrhymed lines of poetry written in a set rhythm - iambic pentameter

Question 17

consonance

Answer 17

repeating consonant sounds used in the middle and end of words in a line or several of poetry

Question 18

contrast

Answer 18

two contradictory concepts used to make a point

Question 19

figurative language

Answer 19

not to be taken literally: similes, metaphors, hyperboles etc

Question 20

free verse

Answer 20

no set rhyme or rhythm

Question 21

hyperbole

Answer 21

exaggerated statement used for effect

Question 22

narrative poem

Answer 22

a poem of any form that tells a story

Question 23

limerick

Answer 23

5-line poem thats witty and funny. follows a rhythm (33223) and rhyme scheme (aabba)

Question 24

apostrophe

Answer 24

directly addressing a thing or a complex idea/feeling as though it was alive/present. ex: homework, oh homework!

Question 25

repetition

Answer 25

lines that are repeated for emphasis

Question 26

haiku

Answer 26

japanese 3 line poem, 5,7,5

Question 27

sonnet (shakespearian)

Answer 27

14 line poem
can be about anything
a set rhythm (iambic pentameter)
rhyme scheme (ababcdcdefefgg)

Question 28

underline

Answer 28

novels, movie and play titles

Question 29

” “

Answer 29

poems, songs and short story titles

Question 30

irony

Answer 30

when a writer expresses a meaning contradictory to the stated or apparent one

Question 31

verbal irony

Answer 31

the attitude of the writer or speaker is the opposite to that which is literally being stated, veiled sarcasm

Question 32

situational irony

Answer 32

when a set of circumstances turns out to be the reverse of those anticipated

Question 33

dramatic irony

Answer 33

the differences between what the audience knows and what a character knows to be true. or when we know something that the characters in the story dont

Question 34

symbol

Answer 34

an element chosen to stand for or represent something else. ex: dove = peace

Question 35

conflict

Answer 35

person vs person 
person vs society
person vs supernatural 
person vs environment
person vs self

Question 36

protagonist

Answer 36

the main character in the story, dominates the plot. not always the good person

Question 37

antagonist

Answer 37

force against the protagonist; can be a person, things, society or traits of his/her own character

Question 38

characterization

Answer 38

flat character: 1/2 distinct traits
round character: complex, many traits
static character: remains the same
dynamic character: undergoes a permanent change in outlook
stock character: stereotypical flat character

Question 39

third person

Answer 39

talking about someone as someone watching them go about his day

Question 40

two types of third person

Answer 40

omniscient: multiple POVs - different characters

limited omniscient: 1 character’s POV

Question 41

first person

Answer 41

talking about own experience using “I” voice

Question 42

imagery

Answer 42

when descriptions are used to create a picture inside the reader’s mind, through similes