Poetry Terms: Sound Devices Plus
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Alliteration – the repetition of a consonant sound at the beginning of words.
Assonance – the repetition of vowel sounds in words.
Consonance – the repetition of consonant sounds inside or at the end of words.
Couplet – consists of two consecutive lines of poetry that USUALLY rhyme.
End Rhyme – a rhyme that occurs at the end of two or more lines.
Internal rhyme – a rhyme that occurs within one line.
Meter - the rhythmic pattern produced when words are arranged so that their stressed and unstressed
syllables fall into a regular pattern.
8. Onomatopoeia – when a word that imitates a sound.
9. Repetition – repeating a word or phrase to provide emphasis.
10. Rhythm - a strong, regular, repeated pattern of movement or sound. ("Ruth listened to the rhythm of
his breathing.")
Additional Terms for Honors’ Students:
11. Enjambment – the running over of a thought or sentence in poetry to a new line without a pause at the
end of the line; a run-on line. Example:
I hope that I can come to
you, and see your handsome
face and sad eyes.
12. Iamb – two syllables – a lightly-stressed (weak) syllable followed by a strongly stressed syllable. The
two syllables occurring together are called a foot of poetry. Example iamb:
So LONG / as MEN / can BREATHE / or EYES / can SEE,
So LONG / lives THIS / and THIS / gives LIFE / to THEE.
13. Trochaic – two syllables – a strongly stressed syllable followed by a lightly-stressed (weak) syllable. The
opposite of an iamb.
14. Stanza
 Couplet – two lines.
 Triplet – three lines.
 Quatrain – four lines.
 Quintet – five lines.
 Sestet – six lines.
 Septet – seven lines.
 Octave – eight lines.
Question: What is iambic pentameter? A line (usually poetry) that has ten syllables in each line, but the
alternate syllable is stressed: duh-DUH duh DUH duh DUH duh DUH duh DUH
Examples:
(1) I read a book without a light tonight.
(2) But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks?
It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.