Poetic Terms: A Basic Tour through Poetic Form

Alliteration The repetition of initial consonant sounds: The repetition of initial consonant sounds: Example: “With blade, with bloody blameful blade, he bravely broached his boiling bloody breast.” (From Midsummer Night’s Dream) Example: “With blade, with bloody blameful blade, he bravely broached his boiling bloody breast.” (From Midsummer Night’s Dream)

Assonance It’s the repetition of vowel sounds, which creates a kind of rhyme. It’s the repetition of vowel sounds, which creates a kind of rhyme. Example: “white lilacs” Example: “white lilacs”

Blank Verse This is unrhymed iambic pentameter. Most of Shakespeare’s plays are written in this form, as well as some of Robert Frost’s poetry. This is unrhymed iambic pentameter. Most of Shakespeare’s plays are written in this form, as well as some of Robert Frost’s poetry. Example: “All the world’s a stage (3 beats, for a partial line)/And all the men and women merely players:/They have their exits and their entrances…” (from Shakespeare’s As You Like It) Example: “All the world’s a stage (3 beats, for a partial line)/And all the men and women merely players:/They have their exits and their entrances…” (from Shakespeare’s As You Like It)

Consonance: This is a sound effect that is created by the repetition of similar consonant sounds. Also called “slant rhyme.” This is a sound effect that is created by the repetition of similar consonant sounds. Also called “slant rhyme.” Example:“reason” and “raisin” (it’s both the “r” and “s” sounds) Example:“reason” and “raisin” (it’s both the “r” and “s” sounds)

Foot A foot is a measurement of a beat in a line, but it’s usually accompanied by a stress (or beat) and one or more non- stressed syllables. A foot is a measurement of a beat in a line, but it’s usually accompanied by a stress (or beat) and one or more non- stressed syllables. Rising feet: Rising feet: Iamb ˘΄ Anapest ˘ ˘΄ Falling feet: Falling feet: Trochee ΄ ˘Dactyl ΄ ˘ ˘

Free Verse This is a contemporary mode of poetry, which uses neither rhyme nor meter. This is a contemporary mode of poetry, which uses neither rhyme nor meter.

Internal Rhyme Rhyme within a line: Rhyme within a line: Example: “There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.” (from Robert Service’s “The Cremation of Sam McGee) Example: “There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.” (from Robert Service’s “The Cremation of Sam McGee)

Meter Meter is the number of feet (or beats) per line: Meter is the number of feet (or beats) per line: Monometer (1)Dimeter (2) Trimeter (3)Tetrameter (4) Pentameter (5)Hexameter (6) Heptameter (7)Octameter (8)

Onomatopoeia Sound effect in poetry that uses words to imitate real sounds. Sound effect in poetry that uses words to imitate real sounds. Example: snap, crackle, pop! Example: snap, crackle, pop!

Personification Poets frequently personify inanimate objects to give them voice. Poets frequently personify inanimate objects to give them voice.

Rhyme Although we generally only recognize one form of rhyme in our speech, poets use several different forms of rhyme. Although we generally only recognize one form of rhyme in our speech, poets use several different forms of rhyme. Exact: pun, fun Exact: pun, fun Slant: slither, slather Slant: slither, slather Identical: dog, dog Identical: dog, dog

Rhyme Scheme An identification system for the end rhymes in a stanza (or poem) using letters to show the matches: An identification system for the end rhymes in a stanza (or poem) using letters to show the matches: Example: Example: “See, here’s the workbox, little wife (A) That I made of polished oak.” (B) He was a joiner of village life; (A) She came of borough folk. (B)

Scansion Marking the feet and meter for the poem, so as to identify its overall pattern, such as iambic pentameter Marking the feet and meter for the poem, so as to identify its overall pattern, such as iambic pentameter

Sestina A poem consisting of six stanzas of six lines each, followed by a three line closing stanza. The words at the end of each stanza are repeated in new patterns in successive stanzas. A poem consisting of six stanzas of six lines each, followed by a three line closing stanza. The words at the end of each stanza are repeated in new patterns in successive stanzas.

Sonnet A poem of 14 lines in iambic pentameter, consisting of three quatrains and a couplet, with a rhyme scheme of ABAB,CDCD,EFEF, GG A poem of 14 lines in iambic pentameter, consisting of three quatrains and a couplet, with a rhyme scheme of ABAB,CDCD,EFEF, GG

Stanza A grouping of lines in a poem (equivalent to a paragraph in prose). Two lines: couplet Three lines: tercet Four lines: quatrain

Villanelle A poem consisting of five tercets and a quatrain, in which the first and third lines of the opening tercet are repeated as the final lines of the following tercets—and then used together in the close. A poem consisting of five tercets and a quatrain, in which the first and third lines of the opening tercet are repeated as the final lines of the following tercets—and then used together in the close.