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
Top Related