Talking about poetry
Term
rhyme
Definition or Example
If two words rhyme they
have a similar sound.
syllable A word or part of a word that
has one separate sound when
you say it.
‘El -e-phant’ has three
syllables.
Dr. Iffat Sardharwalla
August 2006
verse
A group of lines in a
poem or song.
chorus The words repeated after
every verse of a song or
poem.
sonnet A kind of poem with 14
lines.
riddle A puzzling question,
especially a joke.
Dr. Iffat Sardharwalla
August 2006
haiku
ballad
Dr. Iffat Sardharwalla
A short poem, usually
with three lines - the first
line contains 5 syllables,
second line has 7 syllables
and the third line contains
5 syllables.
A simple song or poem,
especially one that tells a
story.
August 2006
couplet Two lines of poetry
together, especially two
that rhyme.
limerick A comical poem with five
lines.
stanza A group of lines in a
poem.
Dr. Iffat Sardharwalla
August 2006