poetry vocabulary definitions you need to know to help with your writing

Poetry VocabularyPoetry Vocabulary

Definitions you need to know to Definitions you need to know to help with your writinghelp with your writing


ALLITERATION: The repetition of ALLITERATION: The repetition of consonant sounds, especially at the consonant sounds, especially at the beginning of words. beginning of words.

Ex. The snake slithers stealthily.Ex. The snake slithers stealthily.


ANTONYM: words that are opposite in ANTONYM: words that are opposite in meaning.meaning.

Examples: Ice/Fire Hot/ Cold Up/Down Examples: Ice/Fire Hot/ Cold Up/Down


Apostrophe-an address to a person absent Apostrophe-an address to a person absent or dead or to an abstract entity.or dead or to an abstract entity.

Ex. “O Death, where is thy sting” Ex. “O Death, where is thy sting”


ASSONANCE: The repetition of similar ASSONANCE: The repetition of similar vowel sounds in a sentence or line of vowel sounds in a sentence or line of poetry.poetry.

Ex. Aardvarks always amble absently. Ex. Aardvarks always amble absently.


BLANK VERSE: A line of poetry or prose in unrhymed BLANK VERSE: A line of poetry or prose in unrhymed iambic pentameter.iambic pentameter.

Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow,Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow,Creeps in this petty pace from day to day, Creeps in this petty pace from day to day, To the last syllable of recorded time; To the last syllable of recorded time; And all our yesterdays have lighted fools And all our yesterdays have lighted fools The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle! The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle! Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player That struts and frets his hour upon the stage That struts and frets his hour upon the stage And then is heard no more: it is a tale And then is heard no more: it is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing.Signifying nothing.


CINQUAIN- a short poem consisting of CINQUAIN- a short poem consisting of five, usually unrhymed lines containing, five, usually unrhymed lines containing, respectively, two, four, six, eight, and two respectively, two, four, six, eight, and two syllables. syllables.


CONNOTATION: The personal or CONNOTATION: The personal or emotional associations called up by a emotional associations called up by a word that go beyond itsword that go beyond itsdictionary meaning.dictionary meaning.

Ex. Home is associated with “warmth, Ex. Home is associated with “warmth, comfort, security. comfort, security.


DENOTATION: The dictionary meaning of DENOTATION: The dictionary meaning of a word. a word.


DICTION-poet's distinctive choices in DICTION-poet's distinctive choices in vocabulary.vocabulary.


ECHO-repetition of key words or ideas for ECHO-repetition of key words or ideas for effect. effect.


FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE: A form of FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE: A form of language use in which writers and language use in which writers and speakers mean something other than the speakers mean something other than the literal meaning of their words. (E.g. literal meaning of their words. (E.g. hyperbole, metaphor, and simile) hyperbole, metaphor, and simile)

Poetry VocabularyPoetry Vocabulary FORM: the arrangement, manner or FORM: the arrangement, manner or

method used to convey the content, such method used to convey the content, such as free verse, couplet, limerick, haiku... as free verse, couplet, limerick, haiku...


FREE VERSE: Poetry without a regular FREE VERSE: Poetry without a regular pattern of meter or rhyme. pattern of meter or rhyme.


Haiku- a major form of Japanese verse, Haiku- a major form of Japanese verse, written in 17 syllables divided into 3 lines written in 17 syllables divided into 3 lines of 5, 7, and 5 syllables, and employing of 5, 7, and 5 syllables, and employing highly evocative allusions and highly evocative allusions and comparisons, often on the subject of comparisons, often on the subject of nature or one of the seasons. nature or one of the seasons.


HOMONYM: Two or more distinct words HOMONYM: Two or more distinct words with the same pronunciation and spelling with the same pronunciation and spelling but with different meanings.but with different meanings.

Ex. Row can mean to paddle a boat, a Ex. Row can mean to paddle a boat, a fight, or in a line. fight, or in a line.


HOMOPHONE: two or more words with HOMOPHONE: two or more words with the same pronunciation but with different the same pronunciation but with different meanings and spellings. meanings and spellings.

Whether and weather, pear, pare and pair.Whether and weather, pear, pare and pair.


HYPERBOLE: an exaggeration of the HYPERBOLE: an exaggeration of the truth.truth.

Ex. My book bag weighs a ton! Ex. My book bag weighs a ton!


IAMBIC PENTAMETER- a common meter IAMBIC PENTAMETER- a common meter in poetry consisting of an unrhymed line in poetry consisting of an unrhymed line with five feet or accents, each foot with five feet or accents, each foot containing an unaccented syllable and an containing an unaccented syllable and an accented syllable. accented syllable.


IMAGE: A concrete representation of a IMAGE: A concrete representation of a sense impression, a feeling, or an idea. sense impression, a feeling, or an idea.


IMAGERY: Figurative language used to IMAGERY: Figurative language used to create particular mental images create particular mental images


METAPHOR: an association of two METAPHOR: an association of two completely different objects as being the completely different objects as being the same thing.same thing.

““All the world’s a stage” All the world’s a stage”


METER: The measured pattern of METER: The measured pattern of rhythmic accents in poems. rhythmic accents in poems.


ONOMATOPOEIA- use of words ONOMATOPOEIA- use of words resembling the sounds they mean.resembling the sounds they mean.

Bark, meow, buzz Bark, meow, buzz


OXYMORON- a seeming contradiction in OXYMORON- a seeming contradiction in two words put together.two words put together.

Girly man, jumbo shrimp Girly man, jumbo shrimp


PERSONIFICATION- attribution of human PERSONIFICATION- attribution of human motives or behaviors tomotives or behaviors toimpersonal agencies. impersonal agencies.

The trees waved to us as we passed.The trees waved to us as we passed.


RHYME: The matching of final vowel or RHYME: The matching of final vowel or consonant sounds in two or more words.consonant sounds in two or more words.


RHYMING COUPLET-a pair of lines which RHYMING COUPLET-a pair of lines which end-rhyme expressing one clear thoughtend-rhyme expressing one clear thought

For never was there a story of more woe, For never was there a story of more woe,

Than this of Juliet and her Romeo. Than this of Juliet and her Romeo.


RHYTHM: The recurrence of accent or RHYTHM: The recurrence of accent or stress in lines of verse. stress in lines of verse.


SETTING: The time and place of a literary SETTING: The time and place of a literary work that establishes its context. work that establishes its context.

Ex. “It was a cold winter day in the town of Ex. “It was a cold winter day in the town of Ipswich.”Ipswich.”


SIMILE: A figure of speech invoking a SIMILE: A figure of speech invoking a comparison between unlike things using comparison between unlike things using "like," "as," or "as though.“"like," "as," or "as though.“

The girl looked as if she’d seen a ghost. The girl looked as if she’d seen a ghost.


STRUCTURE: The design or form of a STRUCTURE: The design or form of a literary work. literary work.


SYMBOL: An object or action in a literary SYMBOL: An object or action in a literary work that means more than itself, that work that means more than itself, that stands for something beyond itself. stands for something beyond itself.

Ex. Stars, eagle, sun.Ex. Stars, eagle, sun.


SYNONYM: One of two or more words SYNONYM: One of two or more words that have the same or nearly the same that have the same or nearly the same meanings. meanings.

Ex. Joyful, glad, happy.Ex. Joyful, glad, happy.


TONE: The implied attitude of a writer (or TONE: The implied attitude of a writer (or speaker) toward the subject and speaker) toward the subject and characters of a work. characters of a work.

Ex. Gloomy, apathetic, joyful.Ex. Gloomy, apathetic, joyful.

poetry vocabulary definitions you need to know to help with your writing

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