Poetry Terminology Study Guide

1. ______- The repetition of vowel sounds and everything after that in words that are very close together in a piece of literature.

There are two different kinds of rhyme:

______- The words at the end of a line of poetry rhyme

______- Words within a line of poetry rhyme

2. ______- The pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables within a line of poetry; Creates the beat or flow of the poem

3. ______– A systematic rhythm in music or poetry . Meter gives the poem a distinguishable beat or rhythm

4. ______- The repetition of vowel sounds in words very close together. The effect of assonance is often, but not always, rhyme. Example: Smiling by the fireside

5. ______- The repetition of consonant sounds in different places within words that are close together in a piece of literature. It is very similar to alliteration except that the repeated consonant sounds can be anywhere within the word—they are not limited to the beginning sound of the word.

Examples: Prime impediments of the mind could be from mass confusion

Listen to the cattle low in the hills

6. ______- Traditional Japanese poetry with a specific form; Has 3 lines of poetry with only 17 syllables in the entire poem

Line 1 has 5 syllables, Line 2 has 7 syllables, Line 3 has 5 syllables

Is usually about nature

Example

Trees watch silently

Guarding the forests’ secrets

Never more to tell

7. ______- A simple, narrative poem often set to music; Composed of several short stanzas of 4-5 lines each (the number of lines may vary somewhat)

Usually has a chorus or refrain (repeated line or phrase); Often has a moral or lesson to be learned; Is often about love, heroic deeds, or other sentimental subject matter 8. ______- Poetry without a regular rhythm or beat; Does not conform to a specific pattern.

Does not have to rhyme; May have irregular line breaks; Often sounds like conversation; May seem like a regular paragraph but is NOT written like a paragraph

9. ______- Four lines of poetry that work together as one unit. May be composed of two sets of couplets; May or may not rhyme; May have alternative lines of rhyme.

Example

Excerpt from “Santa and the Reindeer”

“This is the hour,” said Santa Claus,

“The bells ring merrily.”

Then on his back he slung his pack,

And into his sleigh he climbed.

Shel Silverstain

10. ______- Two lines of poetry that work together as one unit. Couplets have end rhyme.

Example

Enter this Deserted House

But please walk softly as you do

Frogs dwell here and crickets too.

Ain’t no ceiling, only blue

Jays dwell here and sunbeams too.

Shel Silverstein

11. ______- A unit of poetry (a paragraph in poetry); A stanza looks much like a paragraph in prose (stories) but it is NOT a paragraph; Does not have to be indented; Does not require punctuation (although punctuation may be used). 12. ______- A humorous five line poem with a definite rhyme scheme; Has a rhyme scheme of aabba; The subject of the poem is usually introduced in the first line; The last line often contains a punch line; There are only 5 lines in this poem;

Example

The flea and the fly in the flue

Were caught so what could they do

Said the fly, “Let us flee.”

“Let us fly,” said the flea,

So they flew through a flaw in the flue.

13. ______- Language that appeals to any one of the five senses (sight, taste, hearing, smell, feeling); The purpose of imagery is to paint a picture in the reader’s mind. Imagery is achieved by describing how something looks, sounds, feels, tastes, or smells.

14. ______- Generally, the opposite of what is said or expected. There are three types of irony:

 Verbal irony says one thing but means something else, usually the exact opposite (can be called sarcasm).

 In dramatic irony, the reader is aware of something that a character in a piece of literature does not know.

 In situational irony, the outcome of a situation is very different from what is expected.

Example: A lottery winner declares bankruptcy.

15. ______- A person, place, thing, or event that has its own meaning but also represents something else. Symbols are usually things or objects.

Examples

Star of David (Judaism)

Bald Eagle (United States)

US Flag (Patriotism)

16. ______– refers to the emotional atmosphere produced by an author’s use of language.

17. ______– is used to express the writer’s attitude toward the subject. Some words used to express tone are serious, solemn, sarcastic, enthusiastic, humorous, hostile.