Poetry Terms and Concepts

Poetic Structure and Form

• Structure: Describes the organization in terms of stanza, form, and meter.
• Stanza: A grouping of lines in a poem, typically separated by spaces.
• Repetition: Repeated use of a sound, word, phrase, clause, or sentence for emphasis.
• Rhythm: Pattern of accented and unaccented syllables, creating a "beat."
• Rhyme Scheme: Pattern of rhymes in a poem, represented by letters (e.g., abab).
• Rhyme: Repetition of sounds at word endings.
  • End Rhyme: Rhymes at the end of lines.
  • Internal Rhyme: Rhymes within a single line.
• Meter: Pattern of beats ("feet") in a line, defined by accented and unaccented syllables (e.g., pentameter).
• Enjambment: Continuation of a sentence without a pause beyond a line or stanza.
• Prose: Ordinary written or spoken language without metrical structure.

Shakespearean Poetry Terms

• Eye Rhyme: Words that appear to rhyme by spelling.
• Sonnet: 14-line lyric poem with 3 quatrains and 1 couplet, often rhymed.
• Shakespearean Sonnet: 14-line poem, 3 quatrains, 1 couplet, rhymed iambic pentameter (abab cdcd efef gg).
• Quatrain: Four-line stanza with rhythm and rhyme.
• Couplet: Pair of rhyming lines, often same length and meter.
• Iamb: A metrical foot with one unstressed followed by a stressed syllable.
• Blank Verse: Unrhymed iambic pentameter.
• Free Verse: No regular meter or rhyme, lines create rhythm.

Figurative Language

• Apostrophe: Direct address to a person or personified object, often emotional.
• Alliteration: Repetition of initial consonant sounds in closely placed words.
• Allusion: Reference to a well-known person, place, event, or work, adding depth.
• Metaphor: Direct comparison between two unlike things.
• Extended Metaphor: Multiple metaphors comparing a single subject.
• Hyperbole: Exaggeration for effect.
• Oxymoron: Two contradictory words together (e.g., "deafening silence").
• Paradox: Statement that contradicts itself but reveals a truth.
• Pun: Play on words based on similar sounds with different meanings.
• Consonance: Repetition of final consonant sounds in stressed syllables.
• Assonance: Repetition of vowel sounds with different consonants following.

Shakespearean Tragedy

• Ancient Greek Influence: Rules derived from Greek tradition.
• Reuse of Stories: Adaptation of well-known tales with a focus on characterization.
• Five Acts: Plays structured into five acts, each with multiple scenes.
• Exposition to Catastrophe:
  • Exposition: Introduction of setting, characters, and necessary background.
  • Rising Action: Conflict between antagonist and protagonist.
  • Climax: Turning point in Act III.
  • Falling Action: Decline of protagonist's fortunes.
  • Catastrophe: Tragic end, often death of protagonist.
  • Denouement: Resolution, sometimes with a moral.

Shakespearean Drama Terms

• Tragedy: Serious drama with an unhappy ending.
• Soliloquy: Character's speech alone on stage, revealing thoughts.
• Aside: Actor speaks to the audience, unheard by other characters.
• Dramatic Irony: Audience understands implications unknown to characters.
• Protagonist: Main character, often heroic, of high rank.
• Antagonist: Protagonist's main opponent.
• Fate: Uncontrollable circumstances.
• Tragic Flaw: Character trait leading to downfall.
• Free Will: Characters' ability to influence their fate.
• Pathos: Audience's pity for characters' suffering.
• Humorous Relief: Comic elements to ease tension.
• Chorus: Narrator setting tone, introducing plot and characters.
• Puns: Wordplay for humor.