Poetry Terms “Poetry is thoughts that breathe, and words that burn.” ~Thomas Gray “Poetry is when an emotion has found its thought and the thought has found words.” ~Robert Frost
Language Literal Language – Meaning exactly what you say. Figurative Language – expressions that are not literally true.
Figurative Language Simile: A comparison of two nouns using the words like or as “My love for you is like a red, red rose” Metaphor: A comparison of two nouns saying that one thing is another “All the world is a stage” Personification: Giving human qualities to non-human things The wind whispered through the trees The moon danced on the water “Oreo: Milk’s favorite cookie.”
Sound Devices Assonance: The repetition of vowel sounds at any place in a series of words We viewed the movie about mooing rookies at the school. “uncertain rustling of each purple curtain
Sound Devices cont. Alliteration: The repetition of a sound at the beginning of a series of words “So baby, now we’ve got bad blood” “Said I’m so sick of love songs, so sad and slow.” “Whisper words of wisdom, let it be”
Sound Devices cont. Consonance: The repetition of a consonant sound at any place in a series of words. I dropped the locket in the thick mud. Eric liked the black book “And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain.” –Edgar Allen Poe
Sound Device cont. Onomatopoeia: The use of words whose sound makes one think of its meaning Wham! Bonk! Ding-dong “Cuckoo” Tick-tock “snap, crackle, pop”
Rhyme End Rhyme: Rhyme that appears at the end of two or more lines of poetry “I would not, could not, in a box. I could not, would not, with a fox. I will not eat them with a mouse. I will not eat them in a house. I will not eat them here or there. I will not eat them anywhere. I do not eat green eggs and ham. I do not like them, Sam-I-am.”
Rhyme Internal Rhyme: The rhyming of words within one line of poetry “Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary…” Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore, While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping...”
Repetition Repetition: The repeating of a word or phrase to add rhythm or to emphasize an idea “And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep.” –Robert Frost, “Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening” “The road was a ribbon of moonlight, over the purple moor, And the highwayman came riding- Riding-riding- The highwayman came riding, up to the old inn-door.” –Alfred Noyes, “The Highwayman”