Poetry Terms
By: Jackson Moyer
Personification
Definition- A figure of speech in which an animal,
object, or idea is given human characteristics.
A baseball is given the human trait of a face and
being able to run.
Alliteration
Definition- Repetition of consonant sounds at the
beginning of words.
Rhyme
Definition- The repetition of similar sounds, usually in
stressed syllables at the end of lines.
The characters name is Humpty Dumpty and Humpty
and Dumpty both end with -pty so they rhyme.
Rhythm
Definition- Musical quality created by a pattern of
beats or stresses in a line of poetry.
Onomatopoeia
Definition- The use of words whose sounds suggest
their meanings. The sound of the word boom, for
example suggests an explosion.
BOOMM!! He slammed the door after getting yelled
at.
End Rhyme
Definition- Rhyme that occurs at the end of lines.
Internal Rhyme
Definition- Rhyme that occurs within a single line of
poetry.
The internal rhyme was rhyming measure and
pleasure.
Stanzas
Definition- A group of lines in a poem set off by blank
lines.
The different paragraphs of poetry are stanzas.
Symbol
A person, place, an object or an action that stands for
something beyond itself.
This symbol is the symbol for men.
Simile
Definition- A comparison using like or as.
Metaphor
Definition- A direct comparison using two unlike
things. It does not use the words like or as.
The rainbow is a bright lightbulb.
Hyperbole
Definition- Figure of speech in which the truth is
exaggerated for emphasis or humorous effect.
It’s an exaggeration of saying your on top of the world
but you really aren’t.
Free Verse
Definition- Poetry written without a regular rhyme
scheme, meter, or form.
It shows what free verse is and an example of it.
Imagery
Definition- Language that appeals to the five
senses---touch, taste, smell, hearing, and sight.
It shows what types of imagery is and some
examples.
Lyric poem
Definition- Short poem that directly expresses the
poet’s thoughts and emotions in a musical way
This has an example of a lyric poem.
Narrative poem
Definition- Poem that tells a story.
Rhyme scheme
Definition- The sequence in which the rhyme occurs.
The first end sound is represented as the
letter a, the second b, etc.
This example shows an ABCB pattern for the rhyme
scheme.
Poetry
Definition- 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
Definition- Techniques used to create a sense of
rhythm or to emphasize particular sounds
in writing.
Meter
Definition- Regular pattern of stressed and
unstressed syllables that gives a line of
poetry a predictable rhythm.
Figurative Language
Definition-The use of words to create an image in the
reader's mind.
The tree is a mountain. It is as strong as an ox and 1
million feet tall. It looks down upon everything else
while only being, a tree.
Mood
Definition- The feeling or atmosphere created by the
writer.
Idiom
Definition- A phrase or expression whose meaning is
different from what the words say literally.
Symbolism
Definition- A literary device where a physical object
represents something else.
Repetition
Definition- A technique in which the same word or
line is repeated for emphasis or unity. Helps to
reinforce meaning and create an appealing rhythm.
This poem repeats the word pancake.
Refrain
Definition- Stanza or line that is repeated throughout
the poem.
The refrained line in this poem is “And miles to go
before I sleep”.
Couplet
Definition- Rhymed pair of lines in a poem.
The pair of lines that rhyme are Hey diddle, diddle,
and The cat and the fiddle.