1. Elements of Poetry

2. Alliteration  Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginnings of words in lines of poetry. Example: “The angels, not half so happy in Heaven, Went envying her and me.” -EA Poe, “Annabel Lee”

3. Assonance  Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds within non-rhyming words. Example: “My grandmothers are full of memories Smelling of soap and onions and wet clay” -Margaret Walker, “Lineage”

4. Consonance  Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds within or at the ends of words in lines of poetry. Example: “But father answered never a word.”

5. Allusion  Allusion is an indirect reference to another literary work, or to a famous person, place, or event. Example: Oh, stop being such a Romeo.

6. Metaphor  Metaphor is a figure of speech that makes a comparison between two things that are basically unlike, but have something in common. Example: That assignment was a breeze.  A metaphor that compares two unlike things at some length and in several ways is an EXTENDED METAPHOR. Example: All the world's a stage and men and women merely players.

7. Figurative Language  Figurative language is language that communicates beyond the ordinary, literal meaning of words. Examples include: hyperbole, metaphor, simile, onomatopoeia, personification, symbol, imagery

8. Hyperbole  Hyperbole is a figure of speech in which the truth is exaggerated for emphasis or humorous effect. Example: I could smell the pizza from a mile away.

9. Onomatopoeia  Onomatopoeia is the use of words whose sounds suggest their meanings. Examples: pow, buzz, crunch, beep, woof

10. Personification  Personification is a figure of speech in which human qualities are attributed to an object, animal, or idea. Example: The wind whispered through the trees.

11. Simile  Simile is a figure of speech that makes a comparison between two unlike things using the words “like” or “as”. Example: She was so embarrassed, her face was as red as a tomato.

12. Symbolism  Symbolism is the use of a symbol; a person, place, an activity, or an object that stands for something beyond itself. Examples: The American flag is a symbol for freedom. The color white symbolizes peace and purity.

13. Parallelism  Parallelism is the use of similar grammatical constructions to express ideas that are related or of equal importance. Example: "It is by logic we prove, but by intuition we discover.“ - Leonardo DaVinci "When you are right you cannot be too radical; when you are wrong, you cannot be too conservative.“ - Martin Luther King, Jr.

14. Meter  Meter is the regular pattern of accented (stressed) and unaccented (unstressed) syllables in a line of poetry. Not all poems have regular meter.

15. Repetition  Repetition is a technique in which a sound, word, phrase, or line is repeated for effect or emphasis.  The repetition of one or more lines in each stanza of a poem is a REFRAIN.

16. Rhyme  Rhyme is the occurrence of a similar or identical sound at the ends of two or more words. Example: suite, heat, complete  End Rhyme occurs at the ends of lines.  Internal Rhyme occurs within lines.

17. Rhyme Scheme  Rhyme scheme is the pattern of end rhyme in a poem, charted with letters of the alphabet. Example: Roses are red (a) Violets are blue (b) Sugar is sweet (c) And so are you (b)

18. Rhythm  Rhythm is the pattern or flow of sound created by the arrangement of stressed and unstressed syllables in lines of poetry.

19. Stanza  A stanza is a grouping of two or more lines in a pattern that is repeated throughout a poem. In other words, it’s basically a poetic paragraph.

20. Free Verse  Free verse poetry is poetry that does not contain a regular pattern of rhyme and meter.