Poetry Terminology Flashcards
Free Verse
The lines do not rhyme, nor is there a regular meter
Catalog
There are frequent lists of people, things, and attributes
Repetition
Words or phrases are repeated at the beginning of two or more lines
Parallelism
Related ideas are phrased in similar ways (ideas similar in different words/sentences)
Walt Whitman
Appreciates/believes strongly in nature and America’s culture (pro American)
Imagery
Representation of a sensory (5) experience; suggests a mental picture
Metaphor
Comparison of unlike objects without using like or as; comparison implied
Simile
Comparison of unlike objects using like or as
Personification
Attributes of humans given to animals, objects, or ideas
Alliteration
Repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words that are close to one another in a phrase/line
Ex. Lucy likes limes
Consonance
Repetition of consonant sounds in a combination of the beginning, middle, and/or end of words that are close to one another in a phrase/line
Ex. Lily feels sickly
(The L’s)
Assonance
Repetition of similar vowel sounds in words that are close to one another in a phrase/line
Ex. Lyle flies kites in the sky
(The y, ie, i, y)
Symbol
An object that stands for/represents something else
Onomatopoeia
Use of words that sound like they mean
Ex. Buzz, crash, slam, boom
Hyperbole
An exaggeration or overstatement
Allusion
Indirect reference to a person, place, event, or literary work that the author assumes you already know
Foreshadowing
Giving hints and indications about something that is going to happen later in a piece
Theme
What the author is trying to say through his or her work; the subject matter of the piece; a recurrent idea throughout a piece
Tone
The emotion of a piece as expressed by an author through word choice and imagery
Irony
Describes an incident in which the opposite of what is expected occurs
Stereotype
A generalization about a particular group of people; not necessarily true or all people in any said group
Mood (how you feel)
The use of connotation, imagery, figurative language, sound and rhythm, and descriptive details that contribute to a work’s atmosphere
Ex. The house was gloomy and dark and the wolves were howling when midnight struck.
Voice
The language an author uses in their writing to express their personality using the elements of structure, tone, and diction (word choice)
Ex. Factual details using diction
Conflict
A struggle between opposing forces
Ex. The conflict between two people (man vs man) (man vs self)
Genre
The category that each written piece falls into
Ex. Science fiction, romance, horror, biography
Setting
The time and a place in which an action occurs
Ex. New York, Salem
Colloquial
Use in ordinary or familiar conversation (not formal)
Ex. Slang, informal language, wanna, gonna
Sonnet form
14 lines that consist of 3 groups of 4 lines and a couplet of 2 with a rhyme scheme of A B A B C D C D E F E F G G
End rhyme
It’s a rhyme at the end of lines (words or syllables rhyme)
Ex. In “The Raven”
Internal rhyme
A rhyme that occurs within the lines
Ex. Napping and you came rapping
Ballad form (repeated stanza)
A narrative poem that usually has 4 line stanzas with rhyme and rhythm and can contain dialogue and repetition
Half rhyme (slant rhyme)
A rhyme in which the stress syllables of ending consonants match; however, the proceeding vowel sounds don’t match
Ex. Bridge and grudge
Passive voice (double verb)
The subject of the sentence receives the action of the verb
Ex. The snack was given to Danny
Tone (how author feels)
The writer’s attitude towards his or her’s subject matter
Ex. Upset, snarky, biased
Active voice
The subject of the sentence is performing (completing) the action
Ex. Nick failed a quiz
Point of view
Who is telling the story
Ex. First-person (I and we)
Second-person (you, them, theirs, they)
Third-person (he, she, that, him, her, it)
Limited- one character knows (only his perspective)
Omission- author knows what every character is thinking
Antagonist/Protagonist
A- the character who opposes the protagonist
P- the main character (“the hero”)
John Proctor (P) and Abigail (A)
Situational irony
The contrast between what is expected to happen as what ends up happening
Ex. Crucible (Tituba isn’t hanged for confessing)
Verbal irony (sarcasm)
Someone states something, but means another (something else)
Ex. Wow this is a great day (day after crazy election)
Dramatic irony
When the readers know more about a situation in a story than the characters do
Ex. Readers know Abigail was lying and the judge didn’t
Readers knew Juliet wasn’t really dead
Flashback
A scene that describes events that occurred at an earlier time
Parody
A work that is created to imitate/ make fun of/ comment on original work in a humorous way
Ex. Scary movies and Simpsons
Allusion
An indirect reference to a person, place, or thing that the author believes the reader may find familiar
Ex. Reference to Greek characters
Theme
The central idea(s) the writer wishes to share with the reader
Foreshadowing
A writer’s use of hints/ clues to indicate events that will occur later in the story
Ex. Amanda and Tom realize that he is becoming more like their father
Assonance
In poetry, it’s when two or more words close to one another repeat the same vowel sound
Ex. I like limes
I like Mike
All apples are appealing
Consonance (not always alliteration)
The repetition of sounds of consonants of words close to one another
Ex. Lily loves lollipops
Peter piper picked a pair of pickled peppers
Alliteration (consonance)
A repetition of the same consonant sounds at the beginning of words
Ex. Sneaky snake
Local color
Description of the way characters dress, speak, and act to give the reader a sense of the culture in the piece
Ex. Dialect, stores, accents (harry potter world)
Satire
The use of parody, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule with the intent of criticizing individuals, corporations, government, or society itself into improvement (culturally) (sometimes funny)
Ex. Saturday night live (at some times)
Political cartoons
