poetry words Flashcards
tone
the attitude the poet takes toward the subject and theme.
denotation
the meaning of a word as defined in a dictionary.
connotation
the overtones or suggestions of additional meaning a word gains from
context.
Imagery
language of sense experience; must to be concrete, rather than abstract; the
mental pictures experienced by the reader of the poem–not just visual; the sense details
which are vital to evoking emotion in poems.
Allusion
a meaningful reference, either direct or indirect, to something outside the poem
itself–usually something in history, myth, or previous literature; a means of reinforcing the
emotion or ideas of one’s own work with the emotion or ideas of another work.
paradox
an apparent contradiction or absurdity that is somehow true. May be either
situation or statement. See also oxymoron. Can indicate a contradictory emotional state: icy
fire, jumbo shrimp.
Example:
“ …One short sleep past, we wake eternally,
And death shall be no more; death, thou shalt die.”
overstatement
exaggeration in the service of truth; sometimes called hyperbole.
Example:
“Shine here to us, and thou art everywhere;
This bed thy center is, these walls thy sphere.”
John Donne
understatement
saying less than the truth.
Examples:
After witnessing forty days and nights of rain, Noah said to his pet armadillo, ‘bit of a shower
we’ve had here these past few days, eh?’
“I saw the whole of Baltimore
From May until December;
Of all the things that happened there
That’s all that I remember.”
simile
a figure of speech (trope) in which an explicit comparison is made between two
things essentially unlike. The comparison is made explicit by the use of some such word or
phrase–like, as, than, similar to, resembles, or seems.
metaphor
a figure of speech (trope) in which an implicit comparison is made between two
things essentially unlike. Note also: implied metaphor; extended metaphor (conceit).
personification
a figure of speech (trope) in which human attributes are given to an
animal, an object, or an abstraction.
symbol
a figure of speech (trope) in which something means more than itself. A symbol
may be read both literally and metaphorically. The term symbol is derived from the Greek
symballein which means “to throw together.” This suggests the essential quality of a
symbol–that is, the drawing together of two worlds. A symbol defines an area, or a range of
meaning.
allegory
a narrative or description having a second meaning beneath the surface, or literal,
one. This ulterior meaning is the author’s major interest. Note also fable, parable.
euphony
When the sound of words pleases the mind and ear.
cacophony
Opposite of euphony; harsh discordant sounds.
