P oetry Terms
Personification
A figure of speech in which an animal, object, or idea is
given human characteristics
Alliteration
Repetition of consonant sounds at the beginnings of words
Rhyme
The repetition of the same or similar sounds, usually in
stressed syllables at the ends of lines.
Rythm
Musical quality created by a pattern of beats or stresses
in a line of poetry.
Onomatopoeia
Imitating sounds using words.
End rhyme
A rhyme that occurs at the end of lines.
internal rhyme
A rhyme that occurs within a single line of poetry.
Stanzas
A group of lines in a poem set off by blank lines.
Symbol
A person, place, an object, or an action that stands for
something beyond itself.
This symbol represents that you are not allowed to do
something
Hyperbole
Figure of speech in which the truth is exaggerated for
emphasis or humorous effect.
Simile
A comparison using like or as.
Free Verse
Poetry written without a regular rhyme scheme, meter, or
form.
Narrative poem
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
Techniques used to create a sense of rhythm or to
emphasize particular sounds in writing.
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.
Mood
The feeling or atmosphere created by the poem
Idiom
A phrase or expression whose meaning is different from
what the words say literally
Symbolism
A literary device where a physical object represents
something else.
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.
Metaphor
Direct comparison between two unlike things. It does not
use the words like or as.
Couplet
Rhymed pair of lines in a poem.