Poetry Terminology

Prose- writing in the normal or ordinary form; it is arranged in sentence and paragraphs

Poetry- a piece of literature written in mater or verse

Literal- standard meaning of a word

Figurative- departure from the standard meaning of a word to achieve some special meaning or effect

Hyperbole- great exaggeration used to emphasize a strong feeling

Simile- a comparison of one thing with another by the use of the word "like" or "as"

Metaphor- a figure of speech in which a person, an object, or an idea is imaginatively transformed. It may be suggested by comparison but it need not to be.

Personification- granting human attributes to things that are not human

Rhythm- the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words to produce a noticeable effect

Onomatopoeia- a word whose sound imitates the actual sound to which it refers, such as a pop, sizzle, crush

Imagery- the use of concrete details that appeal to the five senses

Cacophony- a succession of harsh, jolting sounds

Euphony- a succession of smooth, harmonious sounds

Assonance- the repetition of vowel sounds followed by unlike consonants sounds in stressed words or syllables

Consonance- the repetition of sequence of two or more consonants, but with a change in the vowels

Rhyme- the repetition of word-ending sounds, specifying the repetition by the letters of the alphabet

Rhyme Scheme- the pattern of rhymes in a stanza or poem. It is identified by the letters of the alphabet

Internal Rhyme- rhyme that occurs within a line

End Rhyme- rhyme that comes at the end of lines

Repetition- in poetry, to occur over and over again

Verse- one line of poetry

Stanza- a grouping of the lines in a poem

Refrain- a word, phrase, line, or groups of lines repeated in a poem, usually at the end of each stanza

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