poetry terminoligy Flashcards
simile
a comparison using ‘like’ or ‘as’
metaphor
a figurative comparison that is not literal
alliteration
the repetition of two or more consonant sounds at the start of words in quick succession
onomatopoeia
a word where the sound is also the meaning of
personification
applying human aspects to an inanimate object
connotation
an idea or feeling which a word invokes for a person in addition to its literal or primary meaning
symbol
something that represents or stands for something else. for example, dove symbolises peace
assonance
resemblance of sound between syllables of nearby words, arising particularly from the rhyming of two or more stressed vowels
eg. swEEping gEEse
fricative alliteration
sounds that create friction of the breath (letters f and v)
plosive alliteration
alliteration where the initial consonant sound is plosive (the letters p, t, k; b, d, g)
sibilance
a pattern of repeated soft sounds for effect
(eg. soft sea shells on the sea shore)
motif
a recurring idea or image
(eg. a recurring motif of the colour red)
semantic field
a set of words grouped together that refer to a specific subject
(eg. semantic field of violence)
repetition
use of repeating a word, phrase, line or idea throughout a poem
enjambment
the continuation of a sentence without a pause at the end of a line/stanza
juxtaposition
two things being seen or place close together with contrasting effect
caesura
a break between words, usually in the middle of a line
anaphora
the whole, or part of, the opening line of the stanza is repeated
refrain
a phrase, line, or group of lines repeated at intervals throughout a poem, generally at the end of the stanza
end-stopped line
a line that ends with a punctuation mark and whose meaning is complete
tone
the voice/attitude of the writer conveyed through the words/viewpoint
rhyme
the correspondence sounds of words
stanza
a section of a poem, also known as a verse
couplet
a pair of lines of a similar length that rhyme
rhythm
a strong repeated pattern of sound
pace
the speed of the poem
poetic speaker
the “I” of a poem, equivalent to the “narrator” of a prose text. in lyric poetry, the speaker is often an authorial persona
dramatic monologue
a poem in the form of a speech or narrative by an imagined person, in which the speaker inadvertently reveals aspects of their character while describing a particular situation or series of events
iambic pentameter
a line of verse with five metrical feet, each consisting of one short (or unstressed) syllable followed by one long (or stressed) syllable
(eg. two households, both alike in dignity)
dactylic diameter
a dactylic foot (known as a dactyl) has a long syllable followed by two short syllables
(eg. half a league, half a league)
free verse
poetry in which the rhythm and rhyme does not repeat regularly
sonnet
a poem of fourteen lines using any number of formal rhyme schemes, in english typically having ten syllables per line
