Poetry Terms

Vocabulary Terms

• Have your pencils and packet ready!• Terms in PPT not in alphabetical order• Not going over EVERY term

– Will need to complete independently• Will need to recognize and locate uses of

terms in poetry/lyrics

Alliteration

• Repetition of same or similar consonant sounds in words that are close together– Most often consists of sounds that begin words, it may also

involve sounds that occur in words

• What is a consonant?– NOT a vowel

• Example:

– Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. (First letter, p, is a consonant and is repeated many times)

Assonance

• Repetition of similar vowel sounds followed by different consonant sounds in words that are close together– “Lake” and “fake” demonstrate Rhyme– “Lake” and “fate” demonstrate Assonance

• Example: – And so all the night-tide, I lie down by the side,

Of my darling, my darling, my life and my bride» Edgar Allan Poe, from “Annabel Lee”

Alliteration vs. Assonance• How can you remember the difference

between alliteration and assonance? –Alliteration (rep. of consonants) ends with

a CONSONANT–Assonance (rep. of vowels) ends with

a VOWEL

Allusion

• Reference to a statement, person, place, event, or thing that is known from literature, history, religion, myth, politics, sports, science, or art

• Direct or indirect reference

“Five score years ago”

“Four score and seven years ago”

King's allusion effectively called up parallels

in two historic moments.

“Having the strength of Hercules”

Rhyme Scheme

• Indicate rhyme scheme by each new end and rhyme a new letter of the alphabet

• Example: Bid me to weep, and I will weep,

While I have eyes to see;

And having none, yet I will keep

A heart to weep for thee.

» Stanza from To Anthea, Who May Command Him Any Thing by Robert Herrick

• What is the rhyme scheme?

A

B

A

B

ABAB

Meter & Foot

• Meter: Regular pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in poetry – Stressed syllable (/)– Unstressed syllable (U)

• Meter is measured in units called feet

• Foot: Usually consists of one stressed and one or more unstressed syllables – Iamb: stressed followed by unstressed

• U / U / forget; deceive– More meters on pg. 1001

Iambic Pentameter &Blank Verse

• Iambic Pentameter: Line of poetry made up of five iambs– Five iambs– Ten syllables

• Blank Verse: Unrhymed iambic pentameter• Example (Iambic Pentameter and Blank Verse:

U / U / U / U / U /When I see birches bend to left and rightU / U / U / U / U /

Across the line of straighter darker trees

U / U / U / U / U /I like to think some boy’s been swinging them

» Robert Frost, from “Birches”

Inversion• Reversal of normal word order in a sentence• Remember Yoda?

– “Named must your fear be before banish it you can.”

– Correct word order: Must name your fear before you can banish it.

Hyperbole

• Figure of speech that uses exaggeration to express strong emotion or for comic relief– Not pronounced

“Hyper-bowl”– It’s “High-purr-bowl-

ee”

I told you a

million times!

Connotation & Denotation• Connotation: All the

meanings, associations, or emotions that a word suggests

• Example: Expensive restaurant advertises its delicious “cuisine” rather than its delicious “cooking”– Cuisine = elegance,

sophistication, high quality– Cooking = decent, everyday

food

• Denotation: literal meaning of the word– Cuisine and Cooking =

Prepared Food

Connotation & Denotation(another way to look at it)

• Connotation: The meaning of a word/phrase based on how your culture defines it

• Example: I call be classmate my “brother”– Brother =

friend/buddy/mate

• Denotation: The meaning of a word based on what the dictionary would say– Brother= male sibling in the

same family

Tone

• Author’s attitude toward types of characters and situations

• Examples: cynical, playful, formal, informal, informal, earnestness, seriousness, bitterness, humorous, joyful, neutral, serious, amused, sad, angry

Mood

• Atmosphere of feeling created by a piece of art or writing– Creates a sense of

expectation about what is to follow

– Feeling in reading• Example:

– Create mood of mystery around character or setting

– Romantic, gloomy, optimistic, imaginary

Symbolism

• Person, place or object which has a meaning in itself, but suggests other meanings as well

• Things, characters and actions can be symbols

• Meaning beyond the obvious

Water = New Life

Cross = Religion

Black = Evil, Death

Personification

• Give human qualities to an animal, an object, or an idea

• Examples: – The whistling wind.– The trees were dancing

in the wind.

Smile Sun

The smiling sun.

The sun was smiling.

Imagery• Language that

appeals to the senses

• Descriptions of people or objects stated in terms of our senses

• Examples: – He was a

tall man.

– The cat is soft.

Simile

• Comparison between two unlike things, using words “like” or “as”

• Example: – Her love

is like a

red rose.

Metaphor

• Comparison between two unlike things

• Does NOT use “like” or “as”

• Example: Juliet IS the sun.

=

Onomatopoeia

• Sounds are spelled out as words

• When words describing sounds sound like the sounds described

• Examples: splash, buzz, bark, wow, gush, kerplunk