figurative language

metaphor

a comparison between two unlike things

simile

a comparison between two things using the word like or the word as

personification

human qualities are attributed to an object, animal, or idea

hyperbole

the truth is exaggerated for emphasis or for effect

apostrophe

an object, an abstract quality, or an absent or imaginary person is addressed as if present and able to understand

oxymoron

two contradictory words are found next to each other

diction

a writer’s or speaker’s choice of words and way of arranging the words in sentences

imagery

descriptive words or phrases that recreate sensory experiences for the reader

sound devices

alliteration

repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words

onomatopoeia

use of words whose sounds suggest their meanings

consonance

repetition of consonant sounds within and at the ends of words

assonance

repetition of vowel sounds in two or more words that don’t end with the same consonant

repetition

a sound, word, phrase, or line is repeated for emphasis

end rhyme

rhyme that occurs at the end of lines of poetry

near rhyme / slant rhyme

end rhymes that are not exact

internal rhyme

rhyme that occurs within a single line

meter

pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in a line of poetry (provides rhythm)

rhythm

beat or flow of a poem – sound created by the arrangement of stressed and unstressed syllables

iambic

meter in which one unstressed syllable followed by one stressed syllable equal a foot of poetry

pentameter

meter in which one line of poetry consists of five feet of poetry (a foot of poetry is usually two or three syllables)

form

stanza

group of lines that form a unit in a poem

couplet

two lines of poetry with end rhyme

quatrain

a four-line stanza

parallelism

use of phrases, clauses, or sentences that are similar in structure or meaning

type

epic poem

a long poem that tells a story; usually serious and traces the adventures of a great hero

narrative poem

a poem that tells a story

ballad

a poem that focuses on one incident and was originally intended to be sung

lyric poem

a short poem in which a single speaker expresses personal thoughts and feelings

sonnet

a short poem with 14 lines written in iambic pentameter and a set rhyme scheme

haiku

a three-line poem that is usually about nature and follows a strict number of syllables per line

elegy

an extended poem in which the speaker reflects on death, often in tribute to a person who has recently died