Poetry Notes

Poetry Terminology

1. POETRY

2. Poetry Vocabulary
1.line-a group of words together on one line of the poem
2.stanza-a group of lines arranged together; “poem
paragraphs”
3.free verse(n): poetry without regular patterns of rhyme or
rhythm
4.Rhyme-Words sound alike because they share the same
ending vowel and consonant sounds.
5.rhyme scheme(n): the pattern of end rhyme in a poem
6.onomatopoeia(n): the use of words whose sounds suggests
their meaning
Ex: Buzz, Bam, Zip, Bang

3. 7.alliteration(n): repetition of consonant sounds at the
beginning of words
Ex: Peter Piper picked a pair of pickled peppers
8. lyric poem -A short poem that is usually written in first
person point of view and expresses an emotion; often
musical
9. haiku(n): a traditional form of Japanese poetry that has three
lines:
line one: five syllables each
line two: seven syllables each
line three: five syllables each
10.narrative poems -A poem that tells a story.
11.Concrete poems -a poem in which the words are arranged to
create a picture that relates to the content of the poem.

4. 12.Simile–a comparison of two things using the words “like”or
“as”
Ex: The boy eats like a pig
13. Metaphor–a comparison of two things
Ex: The boy is a pig.
14. hyperbole-Exaggeration often used for emphasis.
Ex: The roller coast was going so fast that it blew my face off!
15.Idiom-An expression where the literal meaning of the words is
not the meaning of the expression.
Ex: It’s raining cats and dogs
16. Personification-An animal given human-like qualities or an object
given life-like qualities
Ex: The tree danced in the wind.

5. POETRY
A type of literature
that expresses
ideas, feelings, or
tells a story in a
specific form
(usually using lines
and stanzas)

6. POINT OF VIEW IN POETRY
POET
4The poet is the author
of the poem.
SPEAKER
4The speaker of the
poem is the “narrator”
of the poem.

7. POETRY FORM
4FORM -the appearance
of the words on the page
41. LINE -a group of
words together on one
line of the poem
42. STANZA -a group of
lines arranged together
“poem paragraphs”
A word is dead
When it is said,
Some say.
I say it just
Begins to live
That day.

8. SOUND EFFECTS

9. RHYTHM
4The beat created by
the sounds of the
words in a poem
4Rhythm can be created
by meter, rhyme,
alliteration and refrain.

10. 3. FREE VERSE POETRY
4Unlike metered
poetry,free verse
poetry does NOT have
any repeating patterns
of stressed and
unstressed syllables.
4Does NOT have
rhyme.
4Free verse poetry is
very conversational -
sounds like someone
talking with you.
4A more modern type
of poetry.

11. 4. RHYME
4Words sound alike
because they share the
same ending vowel
and consonant sounds.
4(A word always
rhymes with itself.)
LAMP
STAMP
áShare the short “a”
vowel sound
áShare the combined
“mp” consonant sound

12. END RHYME
4A word at the end of one line rhymes with a
word at the end of another line
Hector the Collector
Collected bits of string.
Collected dolls with broken heads
And rusty bells that would not ring.

13. 5. RHYME SCHEME
4A rhyme scheme is a pattern of rhyme (usually
end rhyme, but not always).
4Use the letters of the alphabet to represent sounds
to be able to visually “see” the pattern. (See next
slide for an example.)

14. SAMPLE RHYME SCHEME
The Germ by Ogden Nash
A mighty creature is the germ,
Though smaller than the pachyderm.
His customary dwelling place
Is deep within the human race.
His childish pride he often pleases
By giving people strange diseases.
Do you, my poppet, feel infirm?
You probably contain a germ.
a
a
b
b
c
c
a
a

15. 6. ONOMATOPOEIA
4Words that imitate the sound they are
naming
BUZZ
4OR sounds that imitate another sound
“The silken, sad, uncertain, rustling of
each purple curtain . . .”

16. 7. ALLITERATION
4Consonant sounds repeated at the
beginnings of words
If Peter Piperpicked a peck of pickled
peppers,how many pickled peppers did
Peter Piper pick?

17. CONSONANCE
4Similar to alliteration EXCEPT . . .
4The repeated consonant sounds can be
anywhere in the words
“silken,sad, uncertain, rustling . . “

18. SOME TYPES OF POETRY
WE WILL BE STUDYING

19. 8. LYRIC
4A short poem
4Usually written in first person point of view
4Expresses an emotion or an idea or
describes a scene
4Do not tell a story and are often musical
4(Many of the poems we read will be lyrics.)

20. 9. HAIKU
A Japanese poem
written in three lines
Five Syllables
Seven Syllables
Five Syllables
An old silent pond . . .
A frog jumps into the pond.
Splash! Silence again.

21. 10. NARRATIVE POEMS
4A poem that tells a
story.
4Generally longer than
the lyric styles of
poetry b/c the poet
needs to establish
characters and a plot.
Examples of Narrative
Poems
“The Raven”
“The Highwayman”
“Casey at the Bat”
“The Walrus and the
Carpenter”

22. 11. CONCRETE POEMS
4In concrete poems, the
words are arranged to
create a picture that
relates to the content
of the poem.
Poetry
Is like
Flames,
Which are
Swift and elusive
Dodging realization
Sparks, like words on the
Paper, leap and dance in the
Flickering firelight. The fiery
Tongues, formless and shifting
Shapes, tease the imiagination.
Yet for those who see,
Through their mind’s
Eye, they burn
Up the page.

23. FIGURATIVE
LANGUAGE

24. 12. SIMILE
4A comparison of two things using “like, as
than,” or “resembles.”
4The boy eats like a pig.

25. 13. METAPHOR
4A direct comparison of two unlike things
–The boy is a pig.

26. 14. Hyperbole
4Exaggeration often used for emphasis.
–Ex: The roller coast was going so fast that it
blew my face off!

27. 15. Idiom
4An expression where the literal meaning of
the words is not the meaning of the
expression. It means something other than
what it actually says.
4Ex. It’s raining cats and dogs.

28. 16. PERSONIFICATION
4An animal
given human-
like qualities
or an object
given life-like
qualities.
The cat smiled and whispered a secret in
his meow.

29. OTHER
POETIC DEVICES

30. SYMBOLISM
4When a person, place,
thing, or event that has
meaning in itself also
represents, or stands
for, something else.
= Innocence
= America
= Peace

31. IMAGERY
4Language that appeals to the senses.
4Most images are visual, but they can also
appeal to the senses of sound, touch, taste,
or smell.
then with cracked hands that ached
from labor in the weekday weather . . .
from “Those Winter Sundays”