Poetry Terms Flashcards
Assonance
the repetition of similar vowel sounds followed by different consonant sounds, especially in words close together
ex: “matron and maid” “a” sound, “old ocean” “o” sounds
Alliteration
the repetition of the same or similar consonant sounds in words that are close together
ex: “host of heaven” “matron and maid” “sustained and soothed”
Ballad
a song or poem that tells a story
consonance
the repetition of same or similar final consonant sounds on accented syllables or in important words
Figure of speech
a word or phrase that describes one thing in terms of something else and that is not meant to be taken literally
ex: “eyes had wrung them dry” “the windows failed”
Free verse
poetry that does not conform to regular meter or rhyme scheme
Imagery
the use of language to evoke a picture or a concrete sensation of a person, a thing, a place, or an experience
ex: “Walked out in the rain” “passed by the watchman on his beat” “one luminary clock against the sky”
lyric poem
a poem that does not tell a story, but expresses the personal feelings or thoughts of a speaker
metaphor
a figure of speech that makes a comparison between two unlike things without the use of such specific words of comparison as like, as, than, or resembles
meter
a pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in poetry
ode
a lyric poem, usually long, on a serious subject and written in dignified language
onomatopoeia
the use of a word whose sound imitates or suggest it’s meaning
oxymoron
a figure of speech that combines opposite terms or contradicting terms in a brief phrase
personification
a figure of speech in which an object or animal is given human feelings, thoughts or attitudes
ex: “The carriage held but just ourselves and Immortality” “The Dews drew quivering and chil” “Because I could not stop for death- he kindly stopped for me”
rhyme
the repetition of vowel sounds in accented syllables and all succeeding syllables
