Literary Terms: Poetry
Poetry is a difficult word to define, for
almost every definition has exceptions. In
simple terms, a poem is an artistic
composition of words that are broken into
lines. Poetry is to be understood in
contrast with prose, which is language
which is not broken into lines.
Simile
Simile: a comparison using an explicit
connective such as like or as
Ex.: “Life is like a mountain highway.”
Ex.: “He’s as strong as Hercules.”
Metaphor
Metaphor: a comparison without
using “like” or “as”
a figure of speech in which a thing is
described as something else, with
that thing’s characteristics.
Ex.: “All the world is a stage.”
Ex.: “Love is a rose.”
Personification
Personification: giving inanimate
objects, animals, or ideas human
qualities
Ex.: “This coffee is strong enough to
get up and walk away.”
Ex.: “The sun looks down from her
jealous sky.” (Sting)
Symbol/Symbolism
Symbol: something that is itself and
yet represents something else
A symbol can be a thing (ex., the
cross representing Christianity, or an
action (Robert Frost’s choice of the
road in “The Road Not Taken”).
Ex.: Heart = Love
Oxymoron
Oxymoron: a figure of speech that
fuses two contradictory or opposing
words (usually an adjective and noun
are combined)
Ex.: “jumbo shrimp”, “military
intelligence”
Ex from R&J, “glorious pain” and
“parting is such sweet sorrow”
Paradox
Paradox: a statement that seems
contradictory or absurd and yet is
true and profound
Ex.: “There must be war to achieve
peace.”
“I must be cruel to be kind.” (Hamlet)
Irony
Irony: the difference between what
is expected and what actually
occurs; dark humour; dark
coincidence; something that says
something about human nature
Ex.: The old man who won the lottery
and died the next day.
Rhyme
Rhyme: similar sounds of words, at
the end of two or more lines of
poetry.
Ex.: I miss you so much/I long for
your touch.
Rhyme (Internal)
Rhyme (Internal): rhyming of 2 or
more words in the same line of
poetry, most often in the middle and
at the end of the line.
Ex.: I am the daughter of Earth and
Water
Rhyme Scheme
Rhyme Scheme: pattern or sequence
in which the rhyme sounds occur in a
stanza or poem.
Ex.: …steeple
a
…town
b
…people
a
…down
b
Rhythm
Rhythm: movement having a regular
repetition of beat, accent, stress,
rise and fall, much like that of music
Ex.: Tyger, tyger burning bright,/In
the forest of the night
Onomatopoeia
Onomatopoeia: the use of words in
which their pronunciation suggests
their meaning
Ex.: The snake hissed. The clock
ticked.
Pun
Pun: play on words based on the
similarity of sound between two
words with different meanings
Ex.: ”I find the bananas appealing.”
Alliteration
Alliteration: repetition of the first
letter or sound in a series of words
Ex.: Sally sells seashells at the
seashore on Saturdays.
Euphony
Euphony: word combinations that
sound pleasant to the ear – this is the
opposite of cacophony
Ex.: “And the words hung hushed in
their long white dream/By the
ghostly glimmering, ice-blue stream.”
Euphemism
Euphemism: an indirect statement is
substituted for a direct on in an
effort to avoid bluntness
Ex.: “passed on” for “died”;
“vertically challenged” for “short”
Cacophony
Cacophony: unpleasant combination
of sounds or tones – opposite of
euphony
Ex.: “All day cows mooed and
shrieked/Hollered and bellowed and
wept…”
Prose
Prose: writing not like that of poetry
but with normal sentences and
paragraphs. It is the opposite of
verse.
Ex.: Writing style in novels, short
stories, essays and most modern
dramas.
Verse
Verse:writing style found in poetry.
It is the opposite of prose. It is
often very metrical and may rhyme.
Ex.: Sauntering through the streets,
the sound sweeps in melodic motion.
Couplet
Couplet: two consecutive lines of
poetry that connect together, usually
by rhyme
Ex.: Hear it not Duncan; for it is a
knell/That summons thee to heaven
or to hell.
Stanza
Stanza: division of a poem, usually
made according to a pattern. It is
similar to paragraphs in prose
Figurative Language/
Figure of Speech
Expressions that make comparisons
or associations meant to be taken
imaginatively rather than literally.
Ex.: A thousand knives stabbed my
heart (this did not literally happen)
Hyperbole
Hyperbole: over exaggeration used
for emphasis in literature
Ex.: It took me forever to get to
sleep.
Imagery
Imagery: pictures/paintings you see
in your head when poets use specific
figurative language. It appeals to the
senses.
Ex.: Clouds = images of white,
fluffy, round balls; “These words are
like a thousand razors piercing
through my heart.”
Mood
Prevailing/predominating feeling in a
piece of work
Ex.: “Waiter, there’s an Alligator in
my Coffee = fun, light-hearted,
humourous mood; “The Coffins” =
serious, dark, depressing mood
Tone
Attitude/approach a writer takes
toward his or her subject
Ex.: It can be serious, admiring,
angry, envious, etc.
Poetic License
Freedom for a poet to break rules of
punctuation, spelling, language or
truth in the interest of creativity and
imagination
Ex.: Ain’t 2 Proud 2 Beg
Repetition
Repetition: repeating a word, line, or
stanza for emphasis
Ex.: “In Guernica the dead children/
were laid out in order upon the
sidewalk,/In their white starched
dresses/in their pitiful white
dresses,” (Norman Rosten)
Black Humour
Humourous effects by associating
grotesque/horrifying situations with
humourous ones
Ex.: Laughing at someone falling down
the stairs