Poetry Terms, Definitions, and Examples
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Period _____ Term Meaning Example Types of Rhyme Internal Rhyme a rhyme created by two or more words in the same line of verse Eye Rhyme a rhyme involving words that are similar in spelling but not in sound, such as stone and none Slant Rhyme rhyme in which either the vowels or the consonants of stressed syllables are identical, as in eyes, light; years, yours End Rhyme the rhyming of words at the ends of lines of poetry Forms of Poetry Haiku a Japanese poem of seventeen syllables, in three lines of five, seven, and five, traditionally evoking images of the natural world Narrative a form of poetry that tells a story, often making use of the voices of a narrator and characters as well Poetry Terms, Definitions, and Examples
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Period _____ Forms of Poetry (continued) Limerick a nonsense poem of five lines, usually with the rhyme scheme aabba, the first, second, and fifth lines having three stresses, the third and fourth having two Lyric a form of poetry which expresses personal emotions or feelings, typically spoken in the first person Ballad romantic or sentimental song with the same melody for each stanza Free Verse poetry without regular meter, rhyme, or form Poetic Devices Onomatopoeia the formation of a word from a sound (e.g., cuckoo​
,​
sizzle​
) Personification an author gives human characteristics to something nonhuman or represents an abstract quality in human form. Alliteration the occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words Poetry Terms, Definitions, and Examples
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Period _____ Poetic Devices continued Allusion a​
n indirect reference to some piece of knowledge not actually mentioned Assonance the use of the same vowel sound with different consonants or the same consonant with different vowels in successive words or stressed syllables, as in a line of verse. Examples are ​
time​
and ​
light​
or ​
mystery​
and mastery Metaphor a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable Simile a figure of speech involving the comparison of one thing with another thing of a different kind. the words “like” or “as” are used to make the comparison. Extended Metaphor an author compares two unlike subjects, throughout a long passage or even an entire poem. An author would use this device to create a more clear comparison between the two items Mixed Metaphor the use in the same expression of two or more metaphors that are incongruous or illogical when combined Imagery an author uses writing to create mental pictures for the reader Poetry Terms, Definitions, and Examples
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Period _____ Poetic Devices continued Refrain a repeated part of a poem, either at the end of a stanza or between two stanzas Symbol a thing that represents or stands for something else, especially a material object representing something abstract Elements of a Poem Stanza a group of lines forming the basic recurring metrical unit in a poem Couplet two successive lines of poetry of the same length that rhyme Meter the ​
rhythm established by a poem, usually dependent not only on the number of syllables in a line but also on the way those syllables are accented Rhyme Scheme the ordered pattern of rhymes used in a piece of verse Iamb a metrical foot in English verse of one unaccented syllable followed by one accented syllable