voice
the textual features, such as diction and sentence structure, that convey a writer’s or speaker’s persona
tone
the implied attitude of a writer toward the subject and characters of a work
diction
the selection of words in a literary work
syntax
the grammatical order of words in a sentence or line of verse or dialogue
denotation
the dictionary meaning of a word
connotation
the associations called up by a word that go beyond its dictionary meaning
caesura
a break or pause (usually for sense) in the middle of a verse line
alliteration
use of the same consonant at the beginning of each stressed syllable in a line of verse
assonance
the repetition of similar vowels in the stressed syllables of successive words
onomatopoeia
using words that imitate the sound they denote
open form
A type of structure or form in poetry characterized by freedom from regularity and consistency in such elements as rhyme, line length, metrical pattern, and overall poetic structure.
symbol
an object or action in a literary work that means more than itself, that stands for something beyond itself
metaphor
a figure of speech in which an expression is used to refer to something that it does not literally denote in order to suggest a similarity
personification
representing an abstract quality or idea as a person or creature
synecdoche
a figure of speech in which a part is substituted for the whole
metonymy
a figure of speech in which a closely related term is substituted for an object or idea
enjambment
the continuation of a syntactic unit from one line of verse into the next line without a pause
allegory
a symbolic narrative in which the surface details imply a secondary meaning
imagery
The use of language to evoke a picture or a concrete sensation of a person, thing, place, or experience
hyperbole
exaggeration
simile
a figure of speech that expresses a resemblance between things of different kinds (usually formed with ‘like’ or ‘as’)
free verse
unrhymed verse without a consistent metrical pattern
closed form
a type of form or structure in poetry characterized by regularity and consistency in such elements as rhyme, line length, and metrical pattern
sonnet
a verse form consisting of 14 lines with a fixed rhyme scheme
speaker
the narrator of a poem
line
a group of words on one line of a poem
stanza
a group of lines arranged together
couplet
a two line stanza
rhythm
can be created by meter, rhyme, alliteration and refrain
meter
a pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables
Free Verse Poetry
no repeating patterns of syllables, no rhyme, conversational, modern
end rhyme
a word at the end of one line rhymes with a word at the end of another line
internal rhyme
a word inside a line rhymes with another word on the same line
approximate rhyme
imperfect rhyme, close rhyme, near rhyme
rhyme scheme
a pattern of rhyme (usually end rhyme, but not always); this pattern is shown with letters
onomatopoeia
words that imitate the sound they name
alliteration
consonant sounds repeated at the beginnings of words
consonance
a type of alliteration in which the repeated consonant sounds are anywhere in the words
assonance
a type of alliteration in which repeated vowel sounds are in a line or lines of poetry
refrain
a sound, word, phrase or line repeated regularly in a poem
simile
a comparison of two things using like, as, than, or resembles
metaphor
a direct comparison of two unlike things
extended metaphor
a metaphor that goes several lines or possibly the entire length of the work
implied metaphor
a comparison is hinted at but not clearly stated
hyperbole
exageration often used for emphasis
litotes
understatement for effect
idiom
an expression in which the literal meaning of the words is not the meaning of the expression
personification
an object, something natural, or an animal is given life-like qualities
symbolism
a person, place, thing, or event that has meaning in itself also represents something else
allusion
a reference in a literary work to something famous
imagery
language that appeals to the senses
lyric poem
a short poem in first person point of view that expresses an emotion, idea, or describes a scene
ballad
a song or songlike poem that rhymes
Shakespearean Sonnet
a fourteen line poem with a specific rhyme scheme
narrative poem
a poem that tells a story
concrete poem
a poem in which the words are arranged to create a picture that relates to the content of the poem
