Poetry Terms

The dictionary definition of a

word Example: Ornery- stubborn

(adj.)The child was acting ornery and did not want to pick up his toys.

Denotation

the emotions that are felt when you

hear or see a wordExample: Test Connotation (Emotions) for word- Anxiety, FearTiffany wasn’t sure what to think when Suzie told her she missed the math test.

Connotation

Recognizing Literal Language

“I’ve eaten so much I feel as if I could literally burst!”

In this case, the person is not using the word literally in its true meaning. Literal means "exact" or "not exaggerated." By pretending that the statement is not exaggerated, the person stresses how much he has eaten.

Literal language is language that means exactly what is said.

Most of the time, we use literal language.

Use of words, phrases, symbols, and ideas in such a way as to create mental images for the reader

Figurative Language

Recognizing Figurative Language

The opposite of literal language is figurative language. Figurative language is language that means more than what it says on the surface.

It usually gives us a feeling about its subject.

Poets use figurative language almost as frequently as literal language. When you read poetry, you must be conscious of the difference. Otherwise, a poem may make no sense at all.

Recognizing Literal Language

“I’ve eaten so much I feel as if I could literally burst!”

In this case, the person is not using the word literally in its true meaning. Literal means "exact" or "not exaggerated." By pretending that the statement is not exaggerated, the person stresses how much he has eaten.

Literal language is language that means exactly what is said.

Most of the time, we use literal language.

using sensory (five

senses) words to create a mental picture.

Example: The blackberry cobbler bubbled in the oven.

Imagery

a repeating of the same

sound at the beginning of words

Example: Sally sells sausage on Sunday.

Alliteration

Example of Alliteration

Hear the loud alarum bells--  Brazen bells!

What a tale of terror, now, their turbulency tells!

-Edgar Allen Poe, "The Bells"

an object or idea that

represents a feeling or emotion

Example: A Four Leaf Clover symbolizes good luck.

Symbol

exaggerated statement Example: His growling

stomach could be heard miles away.

Hyperbole

comparing two things

using the words like or as.

Example: The baby’s laugh is like flowers blooming in the spring.

Simile

Example of a Simile

Dream Deferred

What happens to a dream deferred?

Does it dry upLike a raisin in the sun?

Or fester like a sore--And then run?

Does it stink like rotten meat?Or crust and sugar over--like a syrupy sweet?

Maybe it just sagslike a heavy load.

Or does it explode?

-Langston Hughes

comparing two things

without using the words like or as.

Example: A baby’s cry is a thundercloud ruining a perfect day.

Metaphor

Example of a Metaphor

Fame is a bee. It has a song—

It has a sting— Ah, too, it has a

wing. -Emily

Dickinson

words that sound like what

they mean Example: Boom! The car

crashed into the wall.

Onomatopoeia

giving non- living things

human characteristics Example: The stubborn pen

refused to write, so I bit it angrily and the pen’s ink attacked my face!

Personification

Example of Personification

April Rain Song  Let the rain kiss you

Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid dropsLet the rain sing you a lullaby

The rain makes still pools on the sidewalkThe rain makes running pools in the gutterThe rain plays song on our roof at nighta little sleep

And I love the rain.

-Langston Hughes

Saying one thing, but meaning

something different

Example: Its raining cats and dogs.

Idiom

A group of lines within a poem, a poem’s paragraph

Stanza