Poetry
Glossary of Terms
Literal meaning-
Language that means nothing more than exactly what it says
Figurative language-
Language used for descriptive effect, often to imply ideas indirectly.
Alliteration-
The repetition of sounds
Assonance
The repetition of a vowel sound within words.
Ex. tongue twister "Moses supposes his toeses are roses."
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Blank verse
Unrhymed lines of iambic pentameter. Shakespeare wrote most of his plays in blank
verse.
Connotation-
What a word suggests beyond its basic definition. The words childlike and childish both
mean 'characteristic of a child,' but childlike suggests meekness and innocence
Denotation-
Denotation is the basic definition or dictionary meaning of a word.
Hyperbole-
Exaggeration for effect; often humorous
Imagery-
The elements in a literary work used to evoke mental images, not only of the visual
sense, but of sensation and emotion as well. Imagery draws the reader into poetic
experiences by touching on the images and senses which the reader already knows.
Metaphor-
defined as a direct comparison between two seemingly unrelated subjects. In a
metaphor, a first object is described as being or precisely equal to a second object.
Mood-
The emotional quality or atmosphere of the poem
Personification-
Giving human characteristics to animals or things
Rhyme scheme-
The pattern of rhymes formed by the end rhyme in a poem
Listen my children and you shall hear A
Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere, A
On the eighteenth of April, in Seventy-five; B
Hardly a man is now alive B
Who remembers that famous day and year. A
Rhythm-
A series of stressed and unstressed syllables in a line of poetry; it creates a beat.
Simile-
Explicit comparison between two unlike things using like or as
Symbol-
When something stands for or represents an idea or emotion
Tone-
The attitude taken by the author or speaker toward the subject of the work.