Poetic Techniques Flashcards
Onomatopoeia
Words that sound the same as what they represent.
Alliteration
The use of the same letters at the beginning of words that are close.
Personification
To give an inanimate object human characteristics.
Simile
To describe something ‘as’ or ‘like’ something else.
Repetition
To use the same word/phrase more than once.
Metaphor
Comparing two things by saying they are each other.
Enjambment
The continuation of a sentence without a pause beyond the end of a line.
Rhythm
This describes the beat of a poem.
Rhyme
When lines of poetry end with the same sounds.
Stanza
Groups of lines in a poem (a verse).
Assonance
When vowel sounds within words are the same or very similar.
Pivot/Volta
Point at which poem changes mood, time, etc.
Caesura
A pause within a line of poetry to give emphasis.
Irony
Use of words or phrases that are often sarcastic and or humorous.
Fricatives
Soft, breathy sounds: s, z, th, f.
Plosives
Hard, explosive sounds: p, t, k, b, g, d.
Sibilance
Sounded with a hissing effect, for examples, sh.
Superlative
Expressing the highest or a very high degree of a quality.
Juxtaposition
Two things being seen or placed close together with contrasting effect.
Foreshadowing
Be a warning or indication of (a future event).
Lexical Set
A group of words with the same topic, function or form.
Archaisms
Words that are very old or old-fashioned.
End Focus
The most important information in a clause or sentence is placed at the end.
