poetry Flashcards
- Sibilance
lots of s-words - evokes fear. (It creates a soft, hissing effect, often associated with whispers or serpents. Sibilance can evoke a sense of mystery, intimacy, or tension in a poem.)
- Short sentences
- Brief phrases or clauses used for impact or emphasis. They can create a sense of urgency, tension, or clarity in the poem, guiding the reader’s pace and attention.
- Foreshadowing
Hinting at future events or outcomes. It adds depth and suspense to the poem, allowing readers to anticipate what’s to come and creating a sense of continuity or inevitability.
- Enjambement
- Continuing a sentence or phrase beyond the end of a line or stanza without a pause. It adds fluidity and momentum to the poem, however it could add suspense.
- Caesura
a pause in the middle of a line of poetry. It can be created with punctuation like a comma, dash, or full stop.
Example:
“England—how I long for thee!”
The dash (—) creates a natural break, making the reader pause.
- Couplets
Couplets are two consecutive lines of poetry that rhyme and have the same meter.
Example:
“The wind doth blow, the trees do sway,
Night will chase the light away.”
- Zoomorphism
Zoomorphism is when humans or objects are given animal traits.
Example:
“He growled in anger, his eyes like a wolf’s.”
Personification
the representation of a thing or abstraction as a person. Attributing human-like qualities to non-human entities or objects. It adds depth and vividness to the poem, allowing for metaphorical exploration of abstract concepts or inanimate objects by giving them human traits, emotions, or actions.
Assonance
Repetition of vowel sounds within words in close proximity. It adds musicality and rhythm to the poem, creating a sense of harmony and unity.
- Pathetic fallacy
when the weather or nature reflects emotions (e.g., “the angry storm raged on”). It’s a type of personification often used in poetry.
- Temporal phrase
A phrase that relates to time or temporal aspects, such as “in the morning” or “during the night.” It adds context and specificity to the poem, grounding the reader in a particular moment or setting.
- onomatopoeia
Words that imitate the sound they represent, like “buzz” or “clWords that sound like the noises they represent, such as “boom” or “hiss.” They add vividness and bring the poem to life by mimicking real-world sounds.
- Asyndetic listing
Asyndetic listing is a list without conjunctions (e.g., and or or), using only commas.
Effect: Speeds up the pace, creates urgency, or emphasizes abundance.
Example: “He ran, stumbled, fell, crawled, reached the door.” (Creates a fast, breathless rhythm)
- Volta
- A shift or turn in thought or emotion, often found in the structure of a sonnet. It adds depth and complexity to the poem, revealing new perspectives or resolving tension.
- Hyperbole
- Exaggeration for emphasis or effect. It adds drama and intensity to the poem, emphasizing a point or creating a vivid image.
- Anaphora
Starting multiple phrases or lines with the same words. It adds emphasis and rhythm, making key ideas stand out. “Every day, every hour, every moment, I miss you.”
- Italics
- Formatting technique used to emphasize certain words or phrases. It adds emphasis and draws attention to specific parts of the poem, guiding the reader’s focus
- Semantic field
Semantic field refers to a collection of words that share a common theme, idea, or concept within a poem.
- Oxymoron
“Bittersweet” is an oxymoron, combining “bitter” and “sweet” to convey the simultaneous presence of both happiness and sadness.
- Euphemism
Euphemism is when a mild or less direct word is used to replace something harsh or unpleasant.
Example:
“He passed away” instead of “He died.”
- Refrain
A refrain is a repeated line or group of lines in a poem, often at the end of a stanza.
Example:
“Nevermore,” quoth the raven. (from The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe)
The word “Nevermore” repeats throughout the poem.
- Assonance
Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in nearby words.
Example:
“The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain.”
The “ai” sound is repeated.
- Temporal phrase
A temporal phrase refers to a group of words that indicates time, such as when something happens.
Example:
“In the morning,” “at midnight,” “during the summer.”
These phrases set the time frame for actions or events.
- Nostalgic
Nostalgic refers to a feeling of longing or wistfulness for the past, often associated with happy memories.
Example:
“The old songs made her feel nostalgic for her childhood summers.”
- Asyndeton
Asyndeton is the omission of conjunctions (like “and” or “but”) between words or phrases for a faster, more dramatic effect.
Example:
“I came, I saw, I conquered.”
The lack of “and” speeds up the rhythm and adds emphasis.
- Tone
- Abstract verb
An abstract verb refers to an action or state that is intangible or not easily seen, such as emotions or concepts.
Example:
“She believed in magic.”
Here, “believed” is an abstract verb because belief is a concept, not something physically visible.
