Poetry and Literary Terms

the repetition of initial sounds in neighboring words

example: tongue twisters

brief reference to a person, event, or place, famous historical or literary figure or event; may also be drawn from history, geography, literature, or religion

the repetition or a pattern of similar sounds, especially vowel sounds

example: tongue twister- "Moses supposes his toes are roses"

a poem that tells a story similar to a folk tale or legend and often has a repeated refrain

example: "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" by Samuel Taylor Coleridge

poetry that is written in unrhymed iambic pentameter

*most of Shakespeare's play were written in this style

a Latin expression that means "seize the day"; these poems usually urge the reader to live for today and enjoy the pleasures of a moment

example: Robert Herrick
"Gather ye rosebuds while ye may..."

the intentional and imaginative use of words and comparisons that are not literal, but that create original, vivid, and often unexpected images and associations

*metaphoric language (metaphor and simile)

figure of speech in which exaggeration is used for emphasis

expression or recreation through language of any experience perceived through the senses

an implied discrepancy between what is said and what is meant; the use of words to convey the opposite of their literal meaning; a statement or situation where the meaning is contradicted by the appearance or presentation of the idea.

a poem, such as a sonnet or and ode, that expresses the thoughts and feelings of the poet

*may resemble a song in form or style

comparison of two things by saying on thing is another

the arrangement of a line of poetry by the number of syllables and the rhythm or accent (stressed) syllables

use of words whose sound reflects their sense or meaning

putting two contradictory words together

example: jumbo shrimp

giving human qualities to animals or objects

the comparison of two things using like or as

a unified group of lines in poetry

anything that represents something else

the repetition of the same word or group of words at the beginning of successive clauses, sentences, or lines