Poetry Vocabulary Flashcards
title
a title is a word or phrase given to a text
lines
A line is a unit of language into which a poem or play is divided.
stanza
a stanza is used to describe the main building block of a poem.
sentences
a group of words, usually containing a verb, that expresses a thought in the form of a statement, question, instruction, or exclamation and starts with a capital letter when written
syntax
the arrangement of words in sentences, clauses, and phrases, and the study of the formation of sentences and the relationship of their component parts
punctuation
the use of symbols such as periods, commas, or question marks to divide written words into sentences and clauses
enjambment
the continuation of a sentence or phrase from one line of poetry to the next.
end-stopped line
A metrical line ending at a grammatical boundary or break—such as a dash or closing parenthesis—or with punctuation such as a colon, a semicolon, or a period.
rhyme scheme
the pattern of sounds that repeats at the end of a line or stanza.
meter
the rhythmic pattern of a poetic line.
repetition
a literary device that involves using the same word or phrase over and over again in a piece of writing or speech
couplet
a pair of consecutive lines of poetry that create a complete thought or idea
quatrain
a piece of verse complete in four rhymed lines
octave
An eight-line stanza or poem
sestet
A six-line stanza, or the final six lines of a 14-line Italian or Petrarchan sonnet
Metaphor
a comparison between two things that are otherwise unrelated
simile
a figure of speech that compares two unlike things using the words “like” or “as.”
personification
a literary device that uses non-literal language to convey abstract ideas in a relatable way.
hyperbole
a figure of speech that is an intentional exaggeration for emphasis or comic effect.
overstatement
when you use language to exaggerate your intended meaning.
understatement
the description of something as having much less of a particular quality than it does.
litotes
A deliberate understatement for effect; the opposite of hyperbole.
meiosis
a euphemistic figure of speech that intentionally understates something or implies that it is lesser in significance or size than it really is.
meiosis
a euphemistic figure of speech that intentionally understates something or implies that it is lesser in significance or size than it really is.
meiosis
a euphemistic figure of speech that intentionally understates something or implies that it is lesser in significance or size than it really is.
meiosis
a euphemistic figure of speech that intentionally understates something or implies that it is lesser in significance or size than it really is.
meiosis
a euphemistic figure of speech that intentionally understates something or implies that it is lesser in significance or size than it really is.
diction
choice of words, especially with regard to correctness, clearness, or effectiveness.
tone
the mood implied by an author’s word choice and the way that the text can make a reader feel.
mood
a feeling that can refer to the emotional state of mind of a person/character or the atmosphere of a story
alliteration
is the repetition of the same sound at the start of a series of words in succession whose purpose is to provide an audible pulse that gives a piece of writing a lulling, lyrical, and/or emotive effect.
assonance
is the repetition of vowel sounds across a line of text or poetry.
consonance
A resemblance in sound between two words, or an initial rhyme
onomatopoeia
the naming of a thing or action by a vocal imitation of the sound associated with it
slant rhyme
two words that have only their final consonant sounds and no preceding vowel or consonant sounds in common
rhyme
the repetition of syllables, typically at the end of a line
internal rhyme
rhyme between a word within a line and another word either at the end of the same line or within another line
end rhyme
a rhyme that occurs in the last syllables of verses
meter
a regular pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables that defines the rhythm of some poetry.
repetition
the use of the same word or phrase multiple times
sonnet
A 14-line poem with a variable rhyme scheme
italian sonnet
Literally a “little song,” the sonnet traditionally reflects upon a single sentiment, with a clarification or “turn” of thought in its concluding lines.
English sonnet/ Shakespeare
a 14-line poem that rhymes in a particular pattern.
Spenserian sonnet
a sonnet form named for the poet Edmund Spenser.
metered poem
metre or meter is the basic rhythmic structure of a verse or lines in verse.
