Poetry Terms Flashcards
Poem
Writing where the poet chooses words carefully, meant to be read aloud.
Line
A row of words
Stanza
A group of lines
Rhyme
Words with the same ending sound
Rhyme scheme
A pattern of rhyming lines (EX: abab)
Rhythm
A pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in a line
Meter
A recurring pattern or rhythm
Repetition
Repeating words, used to reinforce a theme
Alliteration
Repetition of an initial consonant sound
Simile
A comparison of that uses like or as
EX: the lake was smooth AS glass
Metaphor
A comparison that does not use like or as
EX: Mia remembers everything; her mind is a steel trap.
Personification
Assigning human qualities to a nonliving thing
EX: the sun was smiling.
Symbolism
The use of something to stand for something else
EX: the church had a large cross on it
Allusion
A reference to another work
Ex: i only had half of each sandwich, so I frankensteined them together.
Point of view
Position from which the speaker tells a story
Speaker
The narrator of the story, they may be the voice of the poet or another character
Theme
The central idea
Tone
The mood of the poem; it can change as the speaker’s reflection on a topic changes.
Lyric poem
A short, song like poem.
Ode
A poem with two or more stanzas
Haiku
A poem with usually about nature with 17 syllables. (5-7-5)
Sonnet
A poem with 14 lines; 10 to 12 syllables per line; first 8 lines make an idea, last 6 question it.
Ballad
Short poem, stanzas of 2 to 4 lines and a refrain that repeats; tells a story.
Free verse
Poem not following any rules of rhythm or rhyme.
