Poetic Terms Flashcards
Allegory
Story, poem or picture that can be interpreted to have a hidden meaning, usually moral or political
Aesthetic
Descriptive, figurative language. How things look
Alliteration
Repetition of the same consonant in any part of adjacent words
Assonance
Repetition of similar vowel sounds
Blank verse
Unrhymed iambic pentameter.
Couplet
Two lines, one after the other, usually rhyming and the same length. Often used to moralise and summarise
Colloquial language
Used in informal conversation
Dialect
Way a certain group of people speak
Diction
Type of words used in a poem
Emotive language
Used to show emotional reaction to a poem’s subject. Also the emotional response in the reader
Enjambment
The continuation of a sentence without a pause beyond the end of a line, couplet or stanza
Figurative language
Use of language such as metaphors, similes and allusions to give insight
Iambic pentameter
In a line, words are parcelled into a ‘foot’, which is the repetition of a basic unit. The Iamb is one of the feet
Image
Picture in the mid formed by words
Idiom
Word or phrase not taken literally e.g. ‘over the moon’
Irony
The words say one thing, but may also be read to mean the very opposite
Lyric
A poem with a single speaker who shares their feelings with the reader
Metaphor
A word or phrase that shows a likeness between two things not usually considered similar. It is a comparison that doesn’t use like or as. It enhances our understanding of a person, place or emotion etc
Mood
Atmosphere created in the poem itself
Onomatopoeia
Words that sound like their meaning. Poem appeals to our senses.
Persona
Speaker or voice of the poem
Personification
Giving something inhuman human qualities
Repetition
Reuse of words or phrases for an effect
Rhyme
Words with the same end sound
Rhythm
Regular pattern of accented syllables
Refrain
Like a chorus or repetition. To emphasise a mood or feeling
Sibilance
Repetition of ‘s’. Calming effect. Slows
Simile
Comparison using like or as
Syllables
Units of sound
Symbol
A type of image where the word also stands for something other than itself
Theme
Central idea. Usually shows a poet’s attitude towards a subject, place or person
Tone
Attitude of the speaker towards the subject of the poem
