Poetry Terms

2. A figure of speech that makes a comparison between two unlike things using "like" or "as" (e.g., Her smile was as bright as the sun).
3. A poetic device where a pause comes at the end of a sentence, clause, or phrase, often indicated by punctuation such as a period or semicolon.
7. A brief reference to a person, place, thing, or idea of historical, cultural, literary, or political significance. It does not describe in detail what it refers to.
9. The continuation of a sentence or phrase from one line of poetry to the next, without a pause or break (e.g., I think that I shall never see / A poem lovely as a tree).
11. The repetition of consonant sounds within or at the end of words in a sentence or phrase (e.g., The lumpy, bumpy road).
14. Descriptive language that appeals to the senses (sight, sound, touch, taste, smell) to create vivid mental pictures.
15. The repetition of vowel sounds in non-rhyming words within a sentence or phrase (e.g., The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain).
16. The literal or primary meaning of a word, the dictionary definition, without any emotional or cultural associations (e.g., "home" simply means a place where one lives).
19. A word that imitates the sound it represents (e.g., buzz, clang, sizzle).

1. The repetition of the same initial consonant sound in closely positioned words (e.g., She sells sea shells).
4. Poetry that does not follow a specific meter or rhyme scheme, allowing for more natural rhythms of speech.
5. The implied or suggested meaning of a word, in addition to its literal definition. It includes emotional or cultural associations (e.g., "home" connotes warmth, family, safety).
6. The rhythmic structure of a poem, defined by the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in the lines. Common types of meter include iambic, trochaic, and dactylic.
8. The process of analyzing the meter of a poem by marking stressed and unstressed syllables and dividing the lines into feet.
10. The repetition of sounds at the end of words, typically at the ends of lines in poetry (e.g., light, bright).
12. A figure of speech where two contradictory terms are placed together to create a paradoxical effect (e.g., deafening silence or bittersweet).
13. Units of stressed and unstressed syllables that make up a line of poetry. A common type is the iamb, consisting of an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable.
17. Exaggeration for emphasis or humorous effect (e.g., I'm so hungry I could eat a horse).
18. A natural pause or break in a line of poetry, usually near the middle, often marked by punctuation (e.g., "To be, or not to be—that is the question").