POETRY TERMINOLOGY
“THE TECHNICAL STUFF”
GENRES
Blank Verse
A type of unrhymed poetry using five iambic feet (Iambic
Pentameter) and having no structured rhyme scheme.
Dramatic
Monologue – a poem written as a speech by a narrator addressing
a silent audience. It occurs at a critical moment of the conflict
and suggests situation, setting and character traits.
All dramatic poetry is intended to be read aloud, or performed.
Situation, character and conflict are prominent.
Free Verse
Poetry that has no regular patterns of rhyme, meter or line length.
Relies on natural speech rhythms.
Light Verse
Poetry whose prime purpose is to entertain or amuse. Includes
limerick, satire and parody.
Lyric Poetry
Expresses deep emotional feelings that are personal. Presented in
a song-like form. Deals primarily with basic human needs and
common experiences.
Narrative
Emphasizes plot or physical action. Deals with history, geography
or myth and the most common are Epics or Ballads.
Social
Commentary
Comments on society. Usually critical about social habits,
customs, attitudes or problems. An attempt to identify a need for
change and to inspire that change.
Sonnet
There are four different types of Sonnets: Elizabethan
(Shakespearean), Italian (Petrarchan), Avant Garde and Curtal
(Hopkins). Each of the first 3 have 14 lines and a specific rhyme,
rhythm and/or structure. Usually these deal with personal
philosophies or emotions. The Curtal sonnet has 10 ½ lines and
is unique to the poet, Hopkins.
LITERARY DEVICES AND FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE
Figures of Speech:
Language used in a deliberately unconventional, unliteral
way to achieve special effect –such as adding meaning,
imagery, emphasis or contrast.
(eg. Simile, metaphor, allusion, personification, synechdoche, metonomy, etc)
IMAGE
Simile
(eg. “The Water is like ice.”)
Metaphor
A figure of speech in which a comparison between two
dissimilar things is drawn using “like” or “as”.
a figure of speech in which a comparison is made or
identification is identified between two unlike objects.
(eg. The man had a firey temper.)
Allusion
A brief, underdeveloped reference to a presumably familiar place,
event, historical figure, biblical or mythological fact or figure.
(eg. Like Atlas, he moved all obstacles)
Connotation
The emotional associations implied or suggested by a word.
These extend the meaning of a word beyond its “dictionary”
meaning, usually producing highly personal impressions, rather
than general, cultural and social impressions shared by many,
although others may also share similar views.
(eg. Slim, Skinny, Thin – all have the same denotative meaning, but different
connotations)
Denotation
The precise literal meaning of a word.
Image
Words or word groups that help the reader picture or sense what
is being described. They can be literal or figurative.
(eg. The light feathery shawl brushed her shoulders in the cool breeze)
Metonymy
A figure of speech in which an object is described by its function
or by a word closely associated with it.
(eg. “The law is at the door” – meaning that a policeman is at the door)
Oxymoron
The deliberate side by side placement of words that seem
contradictory in meaning
(eg. “a thundering velvet hand”)
Personification
Attributing human qualities to animals, inanimate objects or
abstract ideas.
(eg. “the sun smiled down on them”)
Satire
Use of wit, humour or ridicule to criticize and provoke change.
Synecdoche
Part of something represents the whole.
(eg. He had a good head on his shoulders – meaning he, as a whole person, is
intelligent)
SOUND
Alliteration
The repetition of the same consonant or vowel sound at the start
of closely associated words. The general rule is 3 or more in close
succession.
(eg. Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers)
Assonance
The repetition of the same or similar vowel sounds within words in
close proximity to one another.
(eg. “You dip the tips of your fingers in other lives
As in the bowls of fragrant liquid”
Consonance
The repetition of the same consonant sound within words in close
proximity to one another.
(eg. “Such weight and thick pink bulk…”)
Cacophany
Use of harsh, discordant, dissonant sounds for poetic effect.
(eg. All the cars mooed and shrieked
Hollered and bellowed and wept..)
Meter
A system for identifying and measuring the rhythmic pattern of a
poem according to its stressed and unstressed syllable.
(eg. Iambic Pentameter (unstressed followed by stresses syllable repeated 5 times)
Onomatopoiea
A word that sounds like what it suggests and reinforces meaning
(eg. Roar, hum, buzz…)
Rhyme
A positioning of two or more words close together to emphasize a
similarity in sound. Rhyme schemes are usually noted using
letters of the alphabet.
Rhyme Scheme
A pattern of rhyme that structures each stanza and includes a
lettered labeling system for rhyme.
Types of Rhyme
Masculine – single syllable rhyme
Feminine – two syllables rhyme
Eye – looks like it should rhyme, but does not
Internal – a word in the middle of a line rhymes with a word at
the end of the line
Rhythm
The pattern or recurrence of stressed and unstressed syllables.
Scansion
The analysis of a poem to determine its meter and length.
Includes number of feet, rhyme, classification and number of
lines.
FORM
Stanza
A “paragraph” of poetry which can be any length.
Couplet
Two successive lines of poetry that rhyme
Quatrain
Four successive lines of poetry that rhyme
Sestet
Six successive lines of poetry that rhyme
Octave
Eight successive lines of poetry that rhyme
Run on Line
A line of poetry that continues in to the next line with no
designated stop or pause. Sometimes called “enjambement”
Haiku
A form of poetry with 3 lines. The first has 3 syllables, the second
5 and the last 3.
Tanka
A form of poetry with 3 lines. The first has 5 syllables, the second
7 and the last 5.
Diamente
A form of poetry with 9 lines where the poem begins with one
word, continues adding a word per line until there are five words
and then decreases back to one. The result is a poem that looks
like a diamond. The first word is the topic of the poem.