Poetry Terms Flashcards
Anaphora
a rhetorical figure of repetition in which the same word or phrase is repeated in (and usually at the beginning of) successive lines
(ie. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness…)
Apostrophe
a rhetorical figure in which the speaker addresses a dead or absent person, or an abstraction or inanimate object
(ie. Oh trees, how majestic you are as you throw down your golden leaves.)
Archetype
a symbol, theme, setting or character-type that recurs in different times and places in literature so frequently to suggest that it embodies some essential element of “universal” human experience
(ie. the hero, the villain, the mentor, the journey)
Assonance
the repetition of identical or similar vowel sounds in stressed syllables of neighboring words
(ie. Hear the mellow wedding bells.)
Caesura
a pause in a line of verse, often coinciding with a break between clauses or sentences
(ie. Oh, say can you see II by the dawn’s early light.)
Catharsis
the effect of purification achieved by tragic drama (according to Aristotle in Poetics)
(ie. A man who killed someone in a drunk driving incident experiences catharsis by volunteering in a children’s hospital.)
Consonance
the repetition of identical or similar consonants in neighboring words whose vowel sounds are different
(ie. the ship has sailed, coming home)
Couplet
a pair of rhyming verse lines, usually of the same length
Enjambment
the running over of the sense and grammatical structure from one verse line or couplet to the next without a punctuated pause
Hyperbole
exaggeration for the sake of emphasis, not meant literally
Internal Rhyme
rhyme occurring with a line of poetry
Irony
a mode of expression in which one conveys a reality opposite to the expectation
Masculine Rhyme
one-syllable stressed rhyme at the end of two lines
ie. dog and log
Feminine Rhyme
two-syllable rhyme consisting of a stressed followed by an unstressed syllable
(ie. label and table)
Meter
the pattern of measured sound-units recurring more or less regularly in lines of verse
(ie. iambic pentameter)
Slant Rhyme
sounds are similar but not identical, near or approximate rhyme
(ie. bridge and grudge, orange and door-hinge)
Synechdoche
a type of metaphor in which a part of something stands for the whole thing
(ie. Let’s get on some wheels and start driving.)
Metonymy
the name of an object is substituted for that of another closely associated with it
(ie. The White House will be announcing the decision around noon today.)
Epistrophe (Epiphora)
the repetition of phrases or words at the ends of the clauses or sentences
(ie. Where now? Who now? When now?)
Epizeuxis
words or phrases are repeated in quick succession, one after another, for emphasis
(ie. I hate it! Hate, hate, hate, hate, hate it!)
Asyndeton
- a writing style where conjunctions are omitted in a series of words, phrases or clauses
- it is used to shorten a sentence and focus on its meaning
- it can be an effective tool when writing to create a more concise, dramatic effect
- it can be used to quicken the pace or emphasize a point
(ie. Fires are burning, horses are snorting, chestnuts are roasting.)
Litote
an understatement to emphasize a point by stating a negative to further affirm a positive, often using double negatives
(ie. not worst)
Oxymoron
two opposite ideas are joined to create an effect
ie. awfully pretty
Juxtaposition
putting two unlike ideas, objects, or images together and observing the exaggerated difference between the two things
(ie. imagine being at a church and your uncle can’t stop making jokes about satan)
