Poetry Notes
Characteristics of Poetry
-Rhyme: When two words have the same sound at the end.
-Rhythm: The “beats” of syllables that create a pattern.
-Internal Rhyme: At least 2 rhyming words inside 1 line.
-Three Types of Internal Rhyme
-Within a line (______barn______yarn)
-Middle of line (______barn______yarn______)
-Wrap around (______barn ______yarn______)
-Off-Rhyme/Slant-Rhyme: When two words are close to rhyming but are used as if they do rhyme.
-Line: A string of written words
-Verse: A line of a poem or music…also, something written in poetic form.
-Stanza: The paragraph of a poem…how a poem is broken up
-Couplet: Two lines that rhyme and follow directly after one another
-Quatrain: A stanza of four lines
-Sestet: A stanza of six lines
-Iamb: A metric “foot” that denotes an unstressed (short) syllable followed by a stressed (long) syllable
Example: tick-TOCK or da-DUM
-Iambic Pentameter: Five iambic feet in a row
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield. (Alfred Tennyson, "Ulysses")
Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? (William Shakespeare, “Sonnet 18”)
Types of Poetry
Poetry Notes
-Lyric Poem =
-Dramatic Poem =
-Narrative Poem =
-Epic Poem =
-Ballad =
-Ode =
-Sonnet =
-Concrete =
-Sestina =
-Haiku =
-Limerick =
-Elegy =
-Echo Poem =
-Bio Poem =
-Blank Verse =
-Free Verse =
Poetry Notes
Figurative Language
-Imagery = Using words to create a mental picture
Example – “The buttercups blooming in the park turned the landscape into a field sunshine.
-Idiom = An expression that is not obvious/literal (usually particular to an area or group
Example – “Kicked the bucket” “raining cats and dogs” “finer than frog hair”
-Personification = Giving human characteristics to non-human objects
Example – “The tree whispered to me.” “The light danced along the water.”
-Pun = A play on words. Plays off the sounds or double meanings of words.
Example – Man walks into a therapist’s office and says “Doc, some nights I dream I’m a wigwam, some I dream I’m a
teepee.” The doctor tells him “Relax, you’re two tents.” (too tense)
-Paradox = A logical puzzle that often contradicts itself in a baffling way.
Example – “This statement is false.”
-Cliché =An overused expression.
Example – “Like a boss.”
-Oxymoron = A word or phrase that contradicts itself. (usually an adjective – noun combination)
Example – “Jumbo shrimp” “A peaceful conflict” “Pretty ugly”
-Simile = A comparison using “like” or “as”
Example – “She was pretty as a picture.” “He was like snake in the grass”
-Metaphor = A comparison that does not use “like” or “as”
Example – “She was a picture in her dress.” “He was a snake in the grass.”
-Hyperbole = Using extreme exaggeration.
Example – “We have, like, a ton of homework.” “We can’t walk to the market, it’s, like, a million miles away.”
-Irony = When there is a gap between expectations and reality.
Example – A fire station burning to the ground.
-Symbolism = Using a symbol or picture to convey an idea or emotion.
Example – Using the color white to symbolize innocence or goodness.
-Allusion = A reference to some other work.
Example – “Good one, Einstein.” “A war will open Pandora’s box in the Middle East.”
Sound Devices
-Assonance = The repetition of vowel sounds in a line/verse.
Example – “The engineer held the steering to steer the vehicle.”
-Consonance = The repetition of consonant sounds in a line/verse.
Example – The tick-tock of the thick grandfather clock tickled my eardrums.
-Alliteration = When you use words that have the same sound at the beginning.
Example –But a better butter makes a batter better.
-Onomatopoeia = When the word sounds like what it is describing.
Example – The buzz of the bees.
-Rhyme = When the ending of words sound the same.
Example – Roses are red violets are blue, the sun is shining and I love you.
-Repetition = When a word or phrase is repeated throughout a poem.
Example –Quoth the Raven, “Nevermore.”