THE BUZZ WORDS IN POETRY
Acrostic: puzzle poem in which the beginning, middle or last letters of each line form a word when read vertically.
Alliteration: repetition of closely connected words beginning with the same letter, usually a consonant. It is used to
highlight the feeling of sound and movement, to intensify meaning, or to bind words together, e.g. "the b urning b
ushes" or " S ing a s ong of s ixpence"!
Assonance: repetition of similar or identical vowel sounds in words which follow each other, especially when the
vowel is stressed, i.e. "Now as I was young and easy under the apple boughs/ About the lilting house and happy as
the grass is green."
Ballad: a simple song which tells a story through dialogue, and which is characterized by uncomplicated language
and melodic refrain. The literary ballad is a narrative poem written in imitation of the folk ballad. Each verse is
made up of four lines, with the second and fourth line endings rhyming.
Enjambement: a line ending in which the syntax, rhythm and thought are continued and completed in the next line,
i.e. "But in contentment I still feel/ the need of some imperishable bliss."
Imagery: use of pictures, figures of speech and description to evoke ideas feelings, objects actions, states of mind
etc.
Lyric: originally poetry meant to be sung, accompanied by lyre or lute. Now refers to category of poetry that is
short, concentrated in expression, personal in its subject matter, and songlike in quality.
Metaphor: like the simile, is based on a point of similarity between two things; but whereas the simile states that
one thing is like another, the metaphor identifies them completely. Thus, "the child chattered like a monkey" is a
simile, but "that child is a perfect monkey" is a metaphor.
Onomatopoeia: use of words which echo their meaning in sound, e.g. "snap", crackle" and "pop"!
Personification: technique of presenting things which are not human as if they were human, i.e. "The Ballad of
John Barleycorn"
Rap: popular song form which utilizes several poetic devices, most notably the play of language within a strict
rhythmic scheme. As a song form it makes use of rhyme and refrain; punning, improvisation and aphoristic verse are
qualities which are also characteristic.
Refrain: a recurring phrase or line, especially at the end of a verse, or appearing irregularly throughout a song or
poem. It is used to create unity, to accumulate plot and meaning or to maintain rhythm and melody.
Rhyme: The use of words with matching sounds, usually at the end of each line.
Similes: compare things which are alike in some respect, although they may be different in their general nature, i.e.
"as light as a feather" or "sleeping like a baby".
Stanza: another word for verse.
Symbol: when a word, phrase or image 'stands for' or evokes a complex set of ideas, the meaning of which is
determined by the surrounding context, i.e. the sun can symbolise life and energy, a red rose can symbolise romantic
love.