Poetry

Important Vocabulary Alliteration - the repetition of the same sounds at the beginning of two or more words in a row Rhyme - two words or lines that end in the same sound Rhythm - regular patterns that emphasize sound Meter - the basic rhythmic structure in verse, composed of stressed and unstressed syllables. The movement of words in a poem. Meter stresses the number and patterns of syllables. It has a definite organization with certain lines containing a certain number of pronounced beats. Onomatopoeia - the use of words that sound like what they mean (e.g., buzz and purr); a poetic device to produce this effect Rhyme scheme - the pattern of rhyming lines (e.g., ABAB, ABBA) Repetition - a repeating element that enriches or emphasizes words, phrases, lines, and even whole verses of poems. Alliteration is a type of repetition.

Figurative Language Hyperbole - an intentional and extreme exaggeration for emphasis or effect (e.g., this book weighs a ton) Metaphor - a subtle comparison in which the author describes a person or thing using words that are not meant to be taken literally (e.g., time is a dressmaker specializing in alterations) Extended metaphor - a metaphor in which the comparison is carried through several lines or even the entire literary work Personification - figurative language in which non-human things or abstractions are represented as having human qualities (e.g., necessity is the mother of invention) Simile - a comparison of two things that are essentially different, usually using the words like or as (e.g., O my love is like a red, red rose from Robert Burns, “A Red, Red Rose”) Imagery - the use of language to create mental images and sensory impressions. Imagery can be used for emotional effect and to intensify the impact on the reader. The following is an example of imagery from Romeo and Juliet: Her eyes in heaven/ Would through the airy region stream so bright/ That birds would sing and think it were not night (2.2.20–22).

Graphic and Structural Elements Line break - the intentional end of a line of poetry Refrain - group of words repeated at key intervals in poetry Stanza - division of a poem composed of two or more lines characterized by meter, rhyme, and number of lines (i.e., couplet: a 2-line stanza; triplet: a 3-line stanza, quatrain: a 4-line stanza; quintet: a 5-line stanza, sestet: a 6-line stanza)

Poetic Forms Lyrical poetry - short poems expressing personal feelings and emotions that may be set to music and often involves the use of regular meter Narrative poetry - poetry that tells a story to entertain Epic poetry - a long narrative poem, usually chronicling the deeds of a folk hero and written using both dramatic and narrative literary techniques (e.g., Homer's Iliad or John Milton’s Paradise Lost) Free Verse - poetry composed of rhymed or unrhymed lines that have no set patterns. Free verse has a casual irregular rhythm similar to that of everyday speech.

Poetic Forms Shape poem - poetry written in the shape or form of an object. Acrostic poem - poetry that certain letters, usually the first in each line form a word or message when read in a sequence. Epitaph - written to praise or to reflect on the life of a deceased person Haiku - a Japanese poem composed of three unrhymed lines of five, seven, and five syllables. Haikus reflects on some aspect of nature. Humorous poetry - poetry that deals with amusing happenings Limerick - a short, humorous poem of consisting of 5 lines: Lines 1, 2, and 5 of a Limerick have seven to ten syllables and rhyme with one another. Lines 3 and 4 have five to seven syllables and also rhyme with each other. Sonnet - a lyric poem that consists of 14 lines, which usually have one or more conventional rhyme schemes