Poetry Terms
Personification
A figure of speech in which an animal, object, or idea is given
human characteristics.
A normal apple would not have a face but
this apple has a face like a human.
Alliteration
Repetition of consonant sounds at the beginnings of words.
Krispy Kreme
Rhyme
The repetition of the same or similar sounds, usually in
stressed syllables at the ends of lines.
Rhythm
Musical quality created by a pattern of beats or stresses in a
line of poetry.
Onomatopoeia
The use of words or phrases whose sounds suggest their
meanings.
The sound of the word boom, for example, suggests an
explosion.
End Rhyme
Rhyme that occurs at the end of lines.
Internal Rhyme
Rhyme that occurs within a single line of poetry.
Stanzas
Rhyme that occurs within a single line of poetry. Stanzas A
group of lines in a poem set o by blank lines.
Symbol
A person, place, an object, or an action that stands for
something beyond itself.
This symbolizes that the place or item is for handicapped
people.
Simile
A comparison using like or as.
Metaphor
Direct comparison between two unlike things. It does not use
the words like or as.
Hyperbole
Figure of speech in which the truth is exaggerated for emphasis
or humorous e ect.
Free Verse
Poetry is written without a regular rhyme scheme, meter, or
form.
Imagery
Language that appeals to the five senses---touch, taste, smell,
hearing, and sight.
Lyric Poem
Short poem that directly expresses the poet’s thoughts and
emotions in a musical way.
Narrative Poem
A poem that tells a story.
Rhyme Scheme
The sequence in which the rhyme occurs.
The first end sound is represented as the
letter a, the second b, etc.
Poetry
A form of writing that uses not only words,
but also form, patterns of sound, imagery,
and figurative language to convey its
Message.
Sound Devices
Regular pattern of stressed and
unstressed syllables that gives a line of
poetry a predictable rhythm.
Meter
Regular pattern of stressed and
unstressed syllables that gives a line of
poetry a predictable rhythm.
Figurative language
The use of words to create an image in the reader’s mind.
This picture symbolizes a person painting a picture in the reader’s mind.
Mood
The feeling or atmosphere created by the writer.
This picture suggests that a poem can have many feelings to it including happiness and sadness
Idiom
A phrase or expression whose meaning is di erent from what
the words say literally.
Symbolism
A literary device where a physical object
represents something else.
Instead of saying ok, you could give a thumbs up!
Repetition
A technique in which the same word or
line is repeated for emphasis or unity.
Helps to reinforce meaning and create an
appealing rhythm.
Refrain
Stanza or line that is repeated throughout the poem.
Couplet
Rhymed pair of lines in a poem.