Alliteration – The repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words. Example: “whispering winds wandered”.
Anaphora – The repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive lines or sentences. Example: “I remember… I remember… I remember…”
Assonance – The repetition of vowel sounds within nearby words. Example: “mellow wedding bells.”
Caesura – A deliberate pause, break, or pivot within a line of poetry. Often marked by punctuation.
Concrete Imagery – Language that appeals to the senses and paints a clear picture.
Connotation – The emotional or cultural meaning associated with a word, beyond its dictionary definition.
Consonance – The repetition of consonant sounds within or at the end of words. Example: “blank and think.”
Couplet – Two consecutive lines of poetry that usually rhyme and have the same meter.
Diction – The choice of words and style of expression that a poet uses.
Ekphrasis – A vivid description of a work of art or visual scene.
Enjambment – When a line of poetry runs over into the next line without a pause or punctuation.
Epigraph – A short quotation or phrase at the beginning of a poem, introducing its theme.
Epistrophe – The repetition of a word or phrase at the end of successive lines or sentences.
Free Verse – Poetry that does not follow a specific rhyme or meter.
Hyperbole – Exaggerated statements used for emphasis. Example: “I’ve told you a million times.”
Imagery – Descriptive language that appeals to the five senses.
Internal Rhyme – Rhyme within a line of poetry rather than at the end.
Juxtaposition – Placing two contrasting ideas or images close together to highlight their differences.
Metaphor – A direct comparison between two unlike things. Example: “Time is a thief.”
Meter – A structured rhythm of stressed and unstressed syllables in poetry.
Mood – The atmosphere or emotional setting created by a poem.
Onomatopoeia – Words that imitate natural sounds. Example: “buzz,” “hiss,” “clang.”
Oxymoron – A figure of speech that combines contradictory terms. Example: “bittersweet.”
Personification – Giving human qualities to non-human things. Example: “The moon smiled down.”
Refrain – A line or group of lines repeated at intervals throughout a poem.
Repetition – Repeating words, phrases, or lines for emphasis or effect.
Rhyme Scheme – The ordered pattern of rhymes at the ends of lines of a poem.
Simile – A comparison using “like” or “as.” Example: “Brave as a lion.”
Slant Rhyme – A rhyme with similar but not identical sounds. Example: “worm” and “swarm.”
Stanza – A grouped set of lines in a poem, like a paragraph in prose.
Symbolism – The use of symbols to represent ideas or concepts beyond the literal meaning.
Syntax – The arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences in a poem.
Tone – The poet’s attitude toward the subject or reader, conveyed through style and diction.
Volta – A rhetorical shift or dramatic change in thought or emotion, often in a sonnet.
