POETRY TOOLS: Useful Vocabulary
alliteration
Refers to the repetition of identical consonant sounds at the beginning of words in close proximity (Peter Piper picked a peck).
allusion
A reference made to another text within a text. This reference can be made in passing, or it can be directly stated. Allusions are made assuming the reader will also be familiar with the other work, and that it will help readers better understand an idea.
analogy
The relationship between certain aspects of one thing that are comparable to something else, even though there is no direct relationship between the two.
anaphora
This is a term used to describe a poem that repeats a certain phrase in its structure, returning to a line in order to emphasize a thought. It's as much a technique as it is a form.
appositives
A phrase within a sentence or line of poetry that offers another way of describing the subject — i.e., The sunflowers, those shaggy-headed monsters growing against the fence, seemed to leer at everyone who walked the back lane.
apostrophe
a figure of speech consisting of words addressing an inanimate object, abstract idea, or deceased individual as though that object, idea, or person were alive; also, words addressing an absent person as though he were present. Example: Donne's personified address to Death in: "Death, be not proud."
assonance
Refers to the repetition of identical vowel sounds in different, closely associated words (in Xanadu did Kubla Khan).
ballad
a poem telling a story, often about a tragic event, popular legend, courageous act, or great love. Folk ballads are written to be sung (earlier ones were oral), while literary ballads are written to be read or recited. More generally, ballads tend to contain action, use simple language, suggest antecedent action, use dialogue, emphasize plot and character, employ refrain and choruses, follow regular patterns, and make reference to superstitions, dreams and magic.
blank verse
a type of unrhymed poetry using five iambic feet (iambic pentameter). This form was popularized by Shakespeare.
cacophony
use of harsh, discordant, dissonant sounds for poetic effect. Example: "buzz-saw snarled and rattled" (Frost's, "Out, Out--")
caesura
a pause in a line determined by the natural rhythm of the diction. Example: "Two roads diverged/in a yellow wood" (Frost's "The road not Taken")
cliché
A metaphor, simile, or saying that has become so overused that it is no longer unique, e.g., strong as a bull, happy as a clam, big as a house.
colloquialisms
Expressions, written or spoken, that are usually found in informal situations or in language confined to a particular region. For example: "Hiya’" is an informal way of saying "hello."
compression
The use of compression means more is communicated in fewer words — the language is concentrated, with non-essential words removed.
concrete poetry
an experimental form of poetry that is intended to combine visual and aural elements of art and music in poetic form. Concrete poems have a definite shape suggesting the poem's subject, and tend to play with letters, sounds, or words, using them in new, original ways
confessional poetry
Poetry that deals with the personal material of the poet's life, using the "I" point of view, often sharing emotional, intimate experiences.
conflict
A struggle between opposing forces which is the driving force of a story. Conflicts can exist between individual characters, between groups of characters, between a character and society, etc., and can also be purely abstract (conflicting ideas).
connotation
the emotional association implied or suggested by a word; these associations extend the meaning of the a word beyond its dictionary meaning. Connotative words produce either highly personal impressions in individuals or general impressions, based on culture, and shared by many. Example, home, motherhood.
consonance
The repetition of similar consonant sounds at the ends of closely associated syllables or words (for example, gored/bored, given/heaven).
couplet
Two successive lines of verse that rhyme and are usually of equal length. I think it is time / You learned to rhyme
denotation
the precise, literal, or dictionary meaning of a word. Example: house, handkerchief
devices
A literary technique used to produce a specific effect in writing (i.e., simile, symbol, personification, etc.).
diction
Diction refers to the choice of words in speech or a text. Both subject and audience will play a part in the selection of a particular diction. Diction can be described in polarities such as formal or informal, ornate or simple, etc. Poetic diction refers to the choice of words in a poem.
dissonance
Refers to a harsh rhythm, or lack of harmony between sounds. Dissonance is similar to cacophony, and opposite to euphony.
dramatic monologue
a poem written as a speech by a narrator addressing a silent audience. The poem, spoken aloud at a critical moment of conflict, suggests a situation and setting, and characterizes the narrator.
elegy
a dignified poem expressing sorrow and, sometimes, praise for someone who is deceased.
enjambment
Breaks a line in the middle of a sentence, clause or phrase. Where enjambment occurs, the meaning straddles two lines, or two verses. Sometimes two meanings are created. One is complete at the end of the line, the other is complete only once the reader has reached the end of the phrase, clause or sentence on the next line.
epic
a long narrative poem recounting the deeds of heroic figures from legends or history.
epigram
a short, witty poem or statement. Example: Dryden's "Epitaph Intended for His Wife."
epiphany
a sudden insight or realization of the speaker, often becoming that of the reader too because the poem is a shared experience. In Lawrence's "The Snake," the speaker realizes he unjustly betrayed the snake and hates the human prejudice and ignorance that caused him to preform a "paltry," "mean" act.
figurative language
language that contains figures of speech, many in which contain comparisons between unlike things. The figurative meaning of words used in a poem refers tot he symbolic or suggested meaning conveyed by those words. These meanings and associations could not possibly be conveyed by the denotative or literal language.
figures of speech
language used in a deliberate unconventional, unilateral way in order to achieve a special effect such as adding meaning, imagery, emphasis, or contrast. Figures of speech often add beauty, richness, and intensity of a poem. Some of the most commonly used figures of speech are the metaphor, simile, personification, hyperbole, metonymy, and synedoche.
foot
a basic unit of measurement for syllable groups in poetry.
free verse
Unrhymed poetry that does not follow a strict metrical pattern, description of line lengths, or number of syllables per line. Free verse poems use other patterns to create a coherent whole.
freewriting
A method of creative writing which involves writing without censoring or editing as you write. I.e., put pen to paper, begin to write, keep going even when it seems you've run out of things to say
genre
"Type" or "kind," as in "what kind of novel do you like?" Jules has two favourite genres of fiction — mystery and fantasy novels.
haiku
a traditional form of Japanese poetry consisting of three lines and seventeen syllables (5-7-5) when translated into English. While haikus have may subtle characteristics, they usually present snapshot-like images of nature or everyday life, and reveal the emotions of the speaker or brief, condensed philosophical view of life. Examples of Haiku poems
iambic pentameter
A ten-syllable per line form of poetry, using a pattern of rhythm which places the stress on every second syllable. These are known as feet. I.e., When I have fears that I may cease to be (Keats). Iambic pentameter is poetic rhythm consisting of lines of five iambic feet (five pairs of stressed and unstressed syllables).
Example:
u / u / u / u / u /
Two households, both alike in dignity
u / u / u / u / u /
In fair Verona, where we lay our scene,
(The "u" indicates an unstressed syllable; the "/" indicates a stressed syllable.)
idiom
The language or way of speaking that is typical of a particular group of people or region; a manner of speaking that is natural to native speakers of a language. You are the apple of my eye.
image
word or word groups that help the reader picture or sense what is begin described. Images can be literal or figurative. Example, "Petals on a wet, black bough" (Pound's "In the Station of the Metro")
imagery
words that help a reader picture or sense what is being described. Imagery usually falls into one of the following five categories: visual (sight), aural (sound), olfactory (smell), gustatory (taste), or tactile (touch). It is a pattern of images in a single work. Example: the geological and bird image patterns in Birney's "David."
irony
a general term describing a recognized discrepancy or incongruity in meaning. The most common types are verbal irony (the difference between what is said and what is intended), dramatic irony (the difference between what the audience knows and what a character believes to be true), and situational irony (the difference between expectation and fulfillment, or between what is experienced and what would seem appropriate). Examples:
verbal irony: "Do not take the leaflet" (Wayman's "Picketing Supermarkets")
dramatic irony: the farm animal not expecting to be killed in Layton's, "The Bull Calf"
situational irony: "I pour and pour/The cups remain empty" (Szumigalski's "The Weather")
light verse
poetry whose prime purpose is to entertain or amuse. Because light verse includes such forms as parodies or satire, there may be a serious side or "bite" behind the poet's humour.
limerick
a light verse form containing five mixed iambic and anapestic lines rhyming AABBA
lyric
a brief, music-like poem about nature, love, or death expressing a strong emotion(s) and thought(s). Example: "Sea Fever" by John Mayfield. The term, lyrics is used to describe the words of songs. Example, Bob Dylan's, "Like a Rolling Stone."
lyric essays
A form that blends poetry with essay.
metaphor
A direct comparison. It is a figure of speech in which like and unlike things are brought together as if they were one. For example: His words were a knife that cut me deeply. And, Anger is a caged beast. Example: Cohen's "A kite is a victim"
meter
A recognizable flow of rising and falling sounds: the varying pattern of stressed syllables alternating with syllables of less stress. Each unit of stress and unstressed syllables is called a "foot." There are many possible patterns of verse including the following types of feet: the iambic, anapest, trochee, and dactyl.
metonymy
a figure of speech in which an object is described by its function or by a word closely associated with it. For example, we may say, "The law is at the door." In that case, we are substituting "law" for "policeman" because the policeman's function is to uphold the law.
mnemonic device
A system or device that helps remember something. For example, the name "Roy G Biv" helps remember the order of colours of the spectrum: Red Orange Yellow GreenBlue Indigo and Violet
mood
the predominant atmosphere of a work as well as the feeling evoked by a poem in the reader. In poetry, mood is conveyed most forcefully through imagery and rhythm. Example: the tense, anxious mood in Yeat's "The Second Coming"
narrative
A style of writing that tells a story; a narrative style can be used in a novel, short story, poem, or essay where the writer is telling a story or recounting events.
ode
a longer lyric poem having a serious subject and dignified style, often addressed to some person, natural creature, or material objects. Example, "Ode on a Grecian Urn," Keats.
onomatopoeia
A type of figurative language where the writer uses words whose pronunciation imitates the sound the word describes. The word "spit" sounds rather like the act of spitting.
oxymoron
the deliberate side-by-side placement of words that are contradictory in meaning. Example, Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet: "O brawling love! O loving hate!."
paradox
a statement that, on first reading, appears to be self-contradictory (saying two opposite things), but that, on closer examination, proves to be true. Examples
parallelism
The repetition of a syntactic construction for rhetorical effect.
pathetic fallacy
the assignment of human characteristics or emotions on inanimate objects or to the weather that create a false picture of nature. Example: killing frost, stubborn wind
personification
A type of figurative language where the writer gives an inanimate or nonliving thing human characteristics. The tree branches waved and the leaves laughed.
poet laureate
A representative appointed to write poems for various official occasions, and to promote the art within their country (or city).
praise poem:
A poem in which the theme or intention is to speak positively about its subject; in other words, to praise it.
prose
Ordinary language that is not set to a rhythm or rhyme. Prose is the form of language found in novels, plays, stories. You are reading prose right now.
prose poem
A poem that appears as prose, without line breaks, but employs poetic techniques such as compression, rhyme, repetition, etc.
refrain (or chorus)
a phrase or sentence repeated at regular intervals in a poem or song. Refrains usually occur after each stanza.
rhyme
the positioning of two or more words reasonable close together in order to emphasize a similarity or agreement in their sounds. A rhyme that occurs between the final words on two lines is called an end rhyme, while a rhyme that occurs between two words within a single line is called internal rhyme. The term slant or imperfect rhyme is used to describe words in which the final consonants are identical but the preceding vowels differ (bought/fight). Finally, the term eye or sight rhyme is used to describe words that conclude with the same spelling but that do not rhyme (creak/break).
rhyme scheme
The pattern of rhymed words at the end of the lines of a poem. Each new rhyme sound is assigned a letter from the alphabet beginning with "a." This poem has an abcb rhyme scheme:
Roses are red a
Violets are blue b
Sugar is sweet c
And so are you b
rhythm
the pattern or recurrence of stressed (/) and unstressed (u) syllables
satire
a form of light verse notable for its wit and ridicule.
simile
An outright comparison using "like," "as," or "as if." For example: The raindrops sparkled like diamonds on the window pane. My soul is like a soaring swift.
soliloquy
Lines spoken by a character to him or herself rather than to another character. The character is "thinking aloud" in order to reveal information about him/herself or an event that the audience needs to know.
social commentary
a serious type of poetry that addresses social issues and problems. Example: Wayman's "Picketing Supermarkets."
sonnet
A fourteen-line poem written in iambic pentameter, following a specific rhyme scheme, with a shift or change within the poem that is often a question being answered or a conclusion being reached. The two most common types of sonnets are the Petrarchan and the Shakespearean.
speaker (persona)
the character who speaks to the reader or an imagined audience in the poem. The word "I," then, refers to always to the speaker and, sometimes, the poet directly.
stream-of-consciousness writing
A style of writing that reveals the random thoughts and actions of a character (or the author in nonfiction) as a continuous flow.
style
the unique manner in which an author expresses her or his thoughts and feelings. In poetry, style is determined by content, imagery, diction, poem forms, and arrangement of ideas and lines.
subtext
Underlying meaning. In dialogue, subtext is what the speaker really means, even if what they say is different
symbol
An object that represents or stands in for a more abstract idea — for example, a dove is a symbol for peace. The colour white might symbolize peace, purity, or surrender.
synecdoche
A figure of speech based on the association of ideas where a part stands in or represents a whole. I have five mouths to feed. Mouths represent people. Check out my new wheels. Wheels represent a car.
tercet
Three-line stanzas of poetry that may or may not rhyme.
theme
A central idea or purpose in a poem or a short story that usually gives insight into human nature or human experience. A theme is not usually directly stated, but implied through the story.
timing
Choice, judgment, or control of when to place emphasis, use pauses, or shift the speed or loudness when speaking or reading aloud.
tone
The attitude of the speaker and the emotional quality of the sound — not what is said, but how it's said. For example, If someone reads a poem without expression, the tone is called flat.
understatement
sometimes called meiosis, understatement describes the deliberate restraining or downplaying of something as being less than it is. The effect is somewhat subtle and sometimes humorous. Example: "I have been dead all winter/No one has noticed it" (Szumigalski's "The Weather").
verse
can be used to mean a group of lines or stanzas within a poem. Verse, when the term refers to a complete work, is usually thought of as being less significant, less figurative, and less intense than poetry.
voice
Refers to the dominant tone of a literary work that underlies the character or narrator.
writer's block
An obstruction between the writer and the writers' ideas.
Refers to the repetition of identical consonant sounds at the beginning of words in close proximity (Peter Piper picked a peck).
allusion
A reference made to another text within a text. This reference can be made in passing, or it can be directly stated. Allusions are made assuming the reader will also be familiar with the other work, and that it will help readers better understand an idea.
analogy
The relationship between certain aspects of one thing that are comparable to something else, even though there is no direct relationship between the two.
anaphora
This is a term used to describe a poem that repeats a certain phrase in its structure, returning to a line in order to emphasize a thought. It's as much a technique as it is a form.
appositives
A phrase within a sentence or line of poetry that offers another way of describing the subject — i.e., The sunflowers, those shaggy-headed monsters growing against the fence, seemed to leer at everyone who walked the back lane.
apostrophe
a figure of speech consisting of words addressing an inanimate object, abstract idea, or deceased individual as though that object, idea, or person were alive; also, words addressing an absent person as though he were present. Example: Donne's personified address to Death in: "Death, be not proud."
assonance
Refers to the repetition of identical vowel sounds in different, closely associated words (in Xanadu did Kubla Khan).
ballad
a poem telling a story, often about a tragic event, popular legend, courageous act, or great love. Folk ballads are written to be sung (earlier ones were oral), while literary ballads are written to be read or recited. More generally, ballads tend to contain action, use simple language, suggest antecedent action, use dialogue, emphasize plot and character, employ refrain and choruses, follow regular patterns, and make reference to superstitions, dreams and magic.
blank verse
a type of unrhymed poetry using five iambic feet (iambic pentameter). This form was popularized by Shakespeare.
cacophony
use of harsh, discordant, dissonant sounds for poetic effect. Example: "buzz-saw snarled and rattled" (Frost's, "Out, Out--")
caesura
a pause in a line determined by the natural rhythm of the diction. Example: "Two roads diverged/in a yellow wood" (Frost's "The road not Taken")
cliché
A metaphor, simile, or saying that has become so overused that it is no longer unique, e.g., strong as a bull, happy as a clam, big as a house.
colloquialisms
Expressions, written or spoken, that are usually found in informal situations or in language confined to a particular region. For example: "Hiya’" is an informal way of saying "hello."
compression
The use of compression means more is communicated in fewer words — the language is concentrated, with non-essential words removed.
concrete poetry
an experimental form of poetry that is intended to combine visual and aural elements of art and music in poetic form. Concrete poems have a definite shape suggesting the poem's subject, and tend to play with letters, sounds, or words, using them in new, original ways
confessional poetry
Poetry that deals with the personal material of the poet's life, using the "I" point of view, often sharing emotional, intimate experiences.
conflict
A struggle between opposing forces which is the driving force of a story. Conflicts can exist between individual characters, between groups of characters, between a character and society, etc., and can also be purely abstract (conflicting ideas).
connotation
the emotional association implied or suggested by a word; these associations extend the meaning of the a word beyond its dictionary meaning. Connotative words produce either highly personal impressions in individuals or general impressions, based on culture, and shared by many. Example, home, motherhood.
consonance
The repetition of similar consonant sounds at the ends of closely associated syllables or words (for example, gored/bored, given/heaven).
couplet
Two successive lines of verse that rhyme and are usually of equal length. I think it is time / You learned to rhyme
denotation
the precise, literal, or dictionary meaning of a word. Example: house, handkerchief
devices
A literary technique used to produce a specific effect in writing (i.e., simile, symbol, personification, etc.).
diction
Diction refers to the choice of words in speech or a text. Both subject and audience will play a part in the selection of a particular diction. Diction can be described in polarities such as formal or informal, ornate or simple, etc. Poetic diction refers to the choice of words in a poem.
dissonance
Refers to a harsh rhythm, or lack of harmony between sounds. Dissonance is similar to cacophony, and opposite to euphony.
dramatic monologue
a poem written as a speech by a narrator addressing a silent audience. The poem, spoken aloud at a critical moment of conflict, suggests a situation and setting, and characterizes the narrator.
elegy
a dignified poem expressing sorrow and, sometimes, praise for someone who is deceased.
enjambment
Breaks a line in the middle of a sentence, clause or phrase. Where enjambment occurs, the meaning straddles two lines, or two verses. Sometimes two meanings are created. One is complete at the end of the line, the other is complete only once the reader has reached the end of the phrase, clause or sentence on the next line.
epic
a long narrative poem recounting the deeds of heroic figures from legends or history.
epigram
a short, witty poem or statement. Example: Dryden's "Epitaph Intended for His Wife."
epiphany
a sudden insight or realization of the speaker, often becoming that of the reader too because the poem is a shared experience. In Lawrence's "The Snake," the speaker realizes he unjustly betrayed the snake and hates the human prejudice and ignorance that caused him to preform a "paltry," "mean" act.
figurative language
language that contains figures of speech, many in which contain comparisons between unlike things. The figurative meaning of words used in a poem refers tot he symbolic or suggested meaning conveyed by those words. These meanings and associations could not possibly be conveyed by the denotative or literal language.
figures of speech
language used in a deliberate unconventional, unilateral way in order to achieve a special effect such as adding meaning, imagery, emphasis, or contrast. Figures of speech often add beauty, richness, and intensity of a poem. Some of the most commonly used figures of speech are the metaphor, simile, personification, hyperbole, metonymy, and synedoche.
foot
a basic unit of measurement for syllable groups in poetry.
free verse
Unrhymed poetry that does not follow a strict metrical pattern, description of line lengths, or number of syllables per line. Free verse poems use other patterns to create a coherent whole.
freewriting
A method of creative writing which involves writing without censoring or editing as you write. I.e., put pen to paper, begin to write, keep going even when it seems you've run out of things to say
genre
"Type" or "kind," as in "what kind of novel do you like?" Jules has two favourite genres of fiction — mystery and fantasy novels.
haiku
a traditional form of Japanese poetry consisting of three lines and seventeen syllables (5-7-5) when translated into English. While haikus have may subtle characteristics, they usually present snapshot-like images of nature or everyday life, and reveal the emotions of the speaker or brief, condensed philosophical view of life. Examples of Haiku poems
iambic pentameter
A ten-syllable per line form of poetry, using a pattern of rhythm which places the stress on every second syllable. These are known as feet. I.e., When I have fears that I may cease to be (Keats). Iambic pentameter is poetic rhythm consisting of lines of five iambic feet (five pairs of stressed and unstressed syllables).
Example:
u / u / u / u / u /
Two households, both alike in dignity
u / u / u / u / u /
In fair Verona, where we lay our scene,
(The "u" indicates an unstressed syllable; the "/" indicates a stressed syllable.)
idiom
The language or way of speaking that is typical of a particular group of people or region; a manner of speaking that is natural to native speakers of a language. You are the apple of my eye.
image
word or word groups that help the reader picture or sense what is begin described. Images can be literal or figurative. Example, "Petals on a wet, black bough" (Pound's "In the Station of the Metro")
imagery
words that help a reader picture or sense what is being described. Imagery usually falls into one of the following five categories: visual (sight), aural (sound), olfactory (smell), gustatory (taste), or tactile (touch). It is a pattern of images in a single work. Example: the geological and bird image patterns in Birney's "David."
irony
a general term describing a recognized discrepancy or incongruity in meaning. The most common types are verbal irony (the difference between what is said and what is intended), dramatic irony (the difference between what the audience knows and what a character believes to be true), and situational irony (the difference between expectation and fulfillment, or between what is experienced and what would seem appropriate). Examples:
verbal irony: "Do not take the leaflet" (Wayman's "Picketing Supermarkets")
dramatic irony: the farm animal not expecting to be killed in Layton's, "The Bull Calf"
situational irony: "I pour and pour/The cups remain empty" (Szumigalski's "The Weather")
light verse
poetry whose prime purpose is to entertain or amuse. Because light verse includes such forms as parodies or satire, there may be a serious side or "bite" behind the poet's humour.
limerick
a light verse form containing five mixed iambic and anapestic lines rhyming AABBA
lyric
a brief, music-like poem about nature, love, or death expressing a strong emotion(s) and thought(s). Example: "Sea Fever" by John Mayfield. The term, lyrics is used to describe the words of songs. Example, Bob Dylan's, "Like a Rolling Stone."
lyric essays
A form that blends poetry with essay.
metaphor
A direct comparison. It is a figure of speech in which like and unlike things are brought together as if they were one. For example: His words were a knife that cut me deeply. And, Anger is a caged beast. Example: Cohen's "A kite is a victim"
meter
A recognizable flow of rising and falling sounds: the varying pattern of stressed syllables alternating with syllables of less stress. Each unit of stress and unstressed syllables is called a "foot." There are many possible patterns of verse including the following types of feet: the iambic, anapest, trochee, and dactyl.
metonymy
a figure of speech in which an object is described by its function or by a word closely associated with it. For example, we may say, "The law is at the door." In that case, we are substituting "law" for "policeman" because the policeman's function is to uphold the law.
mnemonic device
A system or device that helps remember something. For example, the name "Roy G Biv" helps remember the order of colours of the spectrum: Red Orange Yellow GreenBlue Indigo and Violet
mood
the predominant atmosphere of a work as well as the feeling evoked by a poem in the reader. In poetry, mood is conveyed most forcefully through imagery and rhythm. Example: the tense, anxious mood in Yeat's "The Second Coming"
narrative
A style of writing that tells a story; a narrative style can be used in a novel, short story, poem, or essay where the writer is telling a story or recounting events.
ode
a longer lyric poem having a serious subject and dignified style, often addressed to some person, natural creature, or material objects. Example, "Ode on a Grecian Urn," Keats.
onomatopoeia
A type of figurative language where the writer uses words whose pronunciation imitates the sound the word describes. The word "spit" sounds rather like the act of spitting.
oxymoron
the deliberate side-by-side placement of words that are contradictory in meaning. Example, Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet: "O brawling love! O loving hate!."
paradox
a statement that, on first reading, appears to be self-contradictory (saying two opposite things), but that, on closer examination, proves to be true. Examples
parallelism
The repetition of a syntactic construction for rhetorical effect.
pathetic fallacy
the assignment of human characteristics or emotions on inanimate objects or to the weather that create a false picture of nature. Example: killing frost, stubborn wind
personification
A type of figurative language where the writer gives an inanimate or nonliving thing human characteristics. The tree branches waved and the leaves laughed.
poet laureate
A representative appointed to write poems for various official occasions, and to promote the art within their country (or city).
praise poem:
A poem in which the theme or intention is to speak positively about its subject; in other words, to praise it.
prose
Ordinary language that is not set to a rhythm or rhyme. Prose is the form of language found in novels, plays, stories. You are reading prose right now.
prose poem
A poem that appears as prose, without line breaks, but employs poetic techniques such as compression, rhyme, repetition, etc.
refrain (or chorus)
a phrase or sentence repeated at regular intervals in a poem or song. Refrains usually occur after each stanza.
rhyme
the positioning of two or more words reasonable close together in order to emphasize a similarity or agreement in their sounds. A rhyme that occurs between the final words on two lines is called an end rhyme, while a rhyme that occurs between two words within a single line is called internal rhyme. The term slant or imperfect rhyme is used to describe words in which the final consonants are identical but the preceding vowels differ (bought/fight). Finally, the term eye or sight rhyme is used to describe words that conclude with the same spelling but that do not rhyme (creak/break).
rhyme scheme
The pattern of rhymed words at the end of the lines of a poem. Each new rhyme sound is assigned a letter from the alphabet beginning with "a." This poem has an abcb rhyme scheme:
Roses are red a
Violets are blue b
Sugar is sweet c
And so are you b
rhythm
the pattern or recurrence of stressed (/) and unstressed (u) syllables
satire
a form of light verse notable for its wit and ridicule.
simile
An outright comparison using "like," "as," or "as if." For example: The raindrops sparkled like diamonds on the window pane. My soul is like a soaring swift.
soliloquy
Lines spoken by a character to him or herself rather than to another character. The character is "thinking aloud" in order to reveal information about him/herself or an event that the audience needs to know.
social commentary
a serious type of poetry that addresses social issues and problems. Example: Wayman's "Picketing Supermarkets."
sonnet
A fourteen-line poem written in iambic pentameter, following a specific rhyme scheme, with a shift or change within the poem that is often a question being answered or a conclusion being reached. The two most common types of sonnets are the Petrarchan and the Shakespearean.
speaker (persona)
the character who speaks to the reader or an imagined audience in the poem. The word "I," then, refers to always to the speaker and, sometimes, the poet directly.
stream-of-consciousness writing
A style of writing that reveals the random thoughts and actions of a character (or the author in nonfiction) as a continuous flow.
style
the unique manner in which an author expresses her or his thoughts and feelings. In poetry, style is determined by content, imagery, diction, poem forms, and arrangement of ideas and lines.
subtext
Underlying meaning. In dialogue, subtext is what the speaker really means, even if what they say is different
symbol
An object that represents or stands in for a more abstract idea — for example, a dove is a symbol for peace. The colour white might symbolize peace, purity, or surrender.
synecdoche
A figure of speech based on the association of ideas where a part stands in or represents a whole. I have five mouths to feed. Mouths represent people. Check out my new wheels. Wheels represent a car.
tercet
Three-line stanzas of poetry that may or may not rhyme.
theme
A central idea or purpose in a poem or a short story that usually gives insight into human nature or human experience. A theme is not usually directly stated, but implied through the story.
timing
Choice, judgment, or control of when to place emphasis, use pauses, or shift the speed or loudness when speaking or reading aloud.
tone
The attitude of the speaker and the emotional quality of the sound — not what is said, but how it's said. For example, If someone reads a poem without expression, the tone is called flat.
understatement
sometimes called meiosis, understatement describes the deliberate restraining or downplaying of something as being less than it is. The effect is somewhat subtle and sometimes humorous. Example: "I have been dead all winter/No one has noticed it" (Szumigalski's "The Weather").
verse
can be used to mean a group of lines or stanzas within a poem. Verse, when the term refers to a complete work, is usually thought of as being less significant, less figurative, and less intense than poetry.
voice
Refers to the dominant tone of a literary work that underlies the character or narrator.
writer's block
An obstruction between the writer and the writers' ideas.