Poetry Flashcards
Stanza
A verse in poetry.
Stress
Emphasis given to a particular syllables or words.
Assonance
The rhyming of vowel sounds in successive words.
Enjambment
A phrase that runs over onto the next line to create an effect.
End-stopped line
A phrase that stops at the end of a line, signalled by punctuation.
Caesura
A pause in the middle of a line (signalled by punctuation) that implies natural speech or encourages emphasis.
Couplet
A pair of lines that rhyme.
Quatrain
A group of 4 lines linked by rhythm scheme, or by subject matter.
Iambic pentameter
10 syllables to s line, every-other syllable stressed. Creates the sound of a heartbeat.
Iambic tetrameter
8 syllables to a line, every-other syllable stressed. A quick, snappy rhythm.
Half-rhyme
A pair of words that almost rhyme, or look like they should rhyme but don’t when spoken aloud.
Blank verse
Poetry that doesn’t rhyme. Usually used to show real speech.
Refrain
A phrase, line, or group of lines that is repeated throughout the poem.
Sonnet
A poem with 14 lines that generally deals with love.
Alternate rhyme
A rhyme scheme where alternate lines of the poem rhyme.
