ballad
a poem or song narrating a story in short stanzas.
conventions
include spelling, punctuation, capitalization, grammar, and paragraph organization
figurative language
words being used in a imaginative way to express ideas that are not literally true.
This is used for comparision, emphasis, and emotional effect.
formal voice
used in formal writing and when writing to a person or group of people with whom
you are unfamiliar and whom you consider to be superior in rank.
informal voice
less professional than formal voice, this is casual language, comfortable language
that is used in communications with family, friends and peers.
passage
a portion or section of a written work; a paragraph, verse, etc.
rhyme
This is the correspondence of sound between words or the endings of words,
especially when these are used at the ends of lines of poetry.
rhythm
This is a pattern of stresses and unstressed syllables in a line of poetry. Poets used
this to bring out the musical quality of language, to emphasize ideas, and to create
moods.
sound devices
Also known as musical devices, these are elements of literature and poetry that
emphasize sound.
symbolism
Use of an object that stands for something larger than itself, usually an abstract
concept.
irony
This is the contrast between what is expected and what actually exists or happens.
metaphor
This is a comparison of two things that are basically unlike but have some qualities
in common.
simile
This is a figure of speech that makes a comparison between two unlike things by
using the words like, as, or than.
repetition
This is a technique in which a sound, word, phrase, or line is repeated for emphasis
or unity.
elegy
This is a poem of serious reflection, typically a lament for the dead. This poem
reflects on death, or mourns the loss of someone or something.
dialect/local color
This is a particular form of a language that is peculiar to a specific region or social
group.
literary devices
literary terms; tools and techniques of language that authors use to convey meaning.
Using them skillfully brings richness and clarity to a text.
onomatopoeia
words that sound like what they mean
alliteration
the repetition of initial consonant sounds, creating memorable and moving lines
hyperbole
overstatement, exaggeration used for humor or emphasis
description
writing that helps a reader to picture events, objects, and characters; often using
imagery
imagery/sensory details
the use of vivid language to convey sensations that helps us to experience fully what
we read; words and phrases that appeal to the reader's senses
dialogue
actual conversation in a written piece, bringing vitality and credibility to poetry.
author's purpose
author's intent; his or her reason for writing
assonance
This is the repetition of vowel sounds when consonant sounds are unlike creating
partial rhyme.
consonance
repeated consonant sounds (not at the beginning of the word)
traditional verse
contains a strict verse pattern, regular rhyme, very structured poetry
free verse
This type of poetry lets the writer use language that appeals to the head and the
heart, and doesn't follow a strict verse pattern or require rhyming. It is imaginative
and fun.
line
the core unit of a poem
form
the structure or organization of a work of writing; the arrangement of words and
lines on a page
stanza
a group of two or more lines that form a unit in a poem
meter
a regular pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in a poem which emphasizes
the musical quality of the language
personification
the giving of human characteristics to an animal, object, or idea
lyric poetry
personal, subjective poems that appeal to our senses and emotions, and that can
rhyme or be in free verse
narrative poetry
poems that tell a story or recount events
ode
a lyric poem of a serious or meditative nature that aims to elevate its subject