Heart, Mind, and Soul: The Voice of Poetry © 2007, TESCCC

Transformation refers to the concept of complete change Transformation refers to the concept of complete change. Transformation in this unit involves the personal growth or evolution of authors, readers, and the audience through the composition, reading, and/or presentation of a literary work.

Other poems (more common in modern poetry) are free of rules. Poetry is a written form of expression characterized by figurative and/or imaginative language, as well as other characteristics. Some poetry may illustrate emotion, while others may not. Some poetry is written within strictly-defined rules of structure: these include lines, stanzas, sound devices, rhyme, and/or meter. Other poems (more common in modern poetry) are free of rules. All poetry, however, is written as a response to a revelation about human existence. © 2007, TESCCC

Narrative Poetry is defined as poetry that tells a story Narrative Poetry is defined as poetry that tells a story. Sharing the same elements as a story, a narrative poem has characters, setting, plot, and point of view. © 2007, TESCCC

Lyric Poetry is poetry that expresses a speaker’s personal thoughts and feelings. They may be rhymed or free verse, but these poems are usually short and musical. © 2007, TESCCC

Dramatic Poetry is defined as poetry that demonstrates the elements of drama. Characters can speak to each other, to themselves, or to the reader. Some type of intense conflict or emotional situation is usually being discussed. © 2007, TESCCC

A sonnet is defined as lyric poem composed of fourteen lines, usually written in iambic pentameter organized in strict patterns of stanza division and rhyme. © 2007, TESCCC

Haiku is a traditional form of Japanese poetry that is written in three lines and seventeen syllables. The first and third lines of this poetry are usually composed of five syllables while the middle line has seven syllables. This form of poetry is written to express a moment of personal insight and reflection during an observation of nature. © 2007, TESCCC

A limerick is defined as a poem written in five lines with an AABBA rhyme pattern. The first, second and fifth lines consist of three metrical feet while the third and fourth lines possess of two metrical feet. A limerick is usually humorous and ribald in nature. © 2007, TESCCC

Rhyme is the repetition of the same stressed vowel sounds and sounds that follow in two or more words. End rhyme involves the repetition of sounds in syllables at the end of line while internal rhyme involves repetition of sound within a single sound. A rhyme scheme is the pattern of end rhyme. The pattern is identified by letters of the alphabet assigned to each specific end rhyme. A refrain is the repetition, at intervals, of a line or lines. Refrains are usually found after stanzas in songs or poems. © 2007, TESCCC

Rhythm is the pattern of language in text Rhythm is the pattern of language in text. Instead of matching percussion, as with music, in poetry Rhythm refers to the arrangement of stressed and unstressed syllables. The author uses these rhythmical patterns to emphasize certain words or ideas. Rhythm also instills a musical quality into poetry. Poetry can either possess a regular, predictable pattern of rhythm or have no regular patter at all. © 2007, TESCCC

Blank Verse is the term applied to dramatic verse written in unrhymed iambic pentameter. Iambic pentameter is defined as meter composed of five iambic feet to a line of verse in the pattern of one unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable. William Shakespeare wrote many plays using blank verse. © 2007, TESCCC

A figure of speech is defined as a specific figurative language device prominent in poetry. This type of language moves the reader to accept statements that may not be literally true, but which reveal some truth at a deeper level. Similes, metaphors, hyperboles, and personification are all considered to be figures of speech that enhance the writer’s literary work and bring the poetry to life. © 2007, TESCCC

A simile is a figure of speech in which the author makes a comparison of two or more unlike things using the words like or as. © 2007, TESCCC

A metaphor is an implied comparison of two or more things without using the words like or as. An extended metaphor continues the implied comparison throughout a paragraph, stanza or an entire literary work. © 2007, TESCCC

Personification is a figure of speech in which human qualities are given to inanimate objects, animals, or ideas. © 2007, TESCCC

A hyperbole is another figure of speech that uses exaggeration to make a point, to stress an emotion, or to create humor. © 2007, TESCCC

Sound devices refer to methods used by an author to emphasize specific sounds in poetry. This is where the author works with the actual sounds of language—making the poem pleasing or harsh to the ear. Sound devices help to create rhythmical patterns and add musical quality to the literary piece. Alliteration, assonance, consonance, and onomatopoeia are all types of sound devices. © 2007, TESCCC

Alliteration is considered a sound device used in poetry Alliteration is considered a sound device used in poetry. It is usually defined as the repetition of sounds at the beginnings of words. © 2007, TESCCC

Consonance is also defined as a sound device Consonance is also defined as a sound device. However, consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds before or after different vowel sounds—that is, in the middle or end of the word. Thus, the vowels do not rhyme, but the repetition of the consonants allows the reader to hear a similar syllable sound. © 2007, TESCCC

Assonance is a sound device in which similar vowel sounds are repeated within the middle or end of words that do not rhyme. © 2007, TESCCC

Onomatopoeia is defined as the use of words to mimic sounds associated with the subject of a line of poetry. © 2007, TESCCC