Poetry Vocabulary
1. Free Verse- a form of poetry where there is no set pattern, meter, or rhyme
2. Speaker- The person telling the story
3. Point of View- The position of the speaker of the work. Can be first person, second person, or
third person.
4. Repetition- When word, phrases, lines, or stanzas are repeated.
5. Rhyme Scheme- This refers to which lines in the poem rhyme. The rhyme scheme is represented
by letters. Example: aabb, abba, abcd, abab
6. Stanza- The sections that the poems are divided into.
7. Theme- The message of the poem, what the author wants you to know or learn about the
subject.
8. Refrain- A phrase or verse recurring at intervals in a song or poem, especially at the end of each
stanza; chorus
9. Imagery- The use of details to help the reader imagine something. Imagery can describe how
something looks, sounds, tastes, smells, or feels.
10. Mood- The mood is how the poem makes the reader feels, or the feeling created by the reader
11. Tone- How the author feels about the subject. (Think of the tone of your parents’ voice. Can you
tell when you are in trouble?)
12. Symbolism- A technique where a word, object, or event is used to stand for something else.
Example: The color white could symbolize that something is pure and good.
Poetry Vocabulary
1. Free Verse- a form of poetry where there is no set pattern, meter, or rhyme
2. Speaker- The person telling the story
3. Point of View- The position of the speaker of the work. Can be first person, second person, or
third person.
4. Repetition- When word, phrases, lines, or stanzas are repeated.
5. Rhyme Scheme- This refers to which lines in the poem rhyme. The rhyme scheme is represented
by letters. Example: aabb, abba, abcd, abab
6. Stanza- The sections that the poems are divided into.
7. Theme- The message of the poem, what the author wants you to know or learn about the
subject.
8. Refrain- A phrase or verse recurring at intervals in a song or poem, especially at the end of each
stanza; chorus
9. Imagery- The use of details to help the reader imagine something. Imagery can describe how
something looks, sounds, tastes, smells, or feels.
10. Mood- The mood is how the poem makes the reader feels, or the feeling created by the reader
11. Tone- How the author feels about the subject. (Think of the tone of your parents’ voice. Can you
tell when you are in trouble?)
12. Symbolism- A technique where a word, object, or event is used to stand for something else.
Example: The color white could symbolize that something is pure and good.