SOUNDS OF POETRY
This poetic device, the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words in close proximity, creates a noticeable percussive effect, as seen in "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers."
Alliteration
Running over of lines from one line to the next
Enjambment
"The sun smiled down on the earth"is an example of what?
personification
This is a four-line stanza in a poem, often with a consistent rhyme scheme.
Driver's License
Strawberry skies and sunsets blurred, The passenger seat, a silent word. He's with blonde now, a cruel new scene, My picture fading, once so keen.
AP Lit Question: Analyze the tone conveyed in the second stanza and identify one specific image that contributes to this tone.
The tone is melancholic and nostalgic. The image "My picture fading, once so keen" visually represents the speaker's fading significance in the other person's life.
Repetition of vowel sounds in words that are close to each other in a sentence or phrase
Assonance
The formal name for a shift in a poem
Volta
"He was a real Romeo with the ladies"
Allusion
This fourteen-line poetic form is divided into an octave (eight lines) that typically presents a problem or question, and a sestet (six lines) that offers a resolution or answer. What is this form commonly known as (specifically the one with this octave/sestet structure)?
Italian or Petrarchan sonnet
Fresh Prince Theme Song
West Philadelphia, born and raised, Playground was where I spent most of my days. Chillin' out, maxin', relaxin' all cool, Shootin' some b-ball outside of the school.
The diction is informal, colloquial ("chillin' out," "maxin'"), and specific to the speaker's youthful, urban background, establishing a relatable and authentic voice.
This technique allows the poet to bring the sense of sound into the poem. Instead of just describing a sound, the poet evokes it directly through the word itself.
Onomatopoeia
Sexy name for repetition
Anaphora
The fact of two things being seen or placed close together with contrasting effect
Juxtaposition
This is a group of lines in a poem, considered as a unit, often separated by spaces. It's the poetic equivalent of a paragraph in prose.
Stanza
Taylor Swift - Shake It Off (Chorus)
'Cause the players gonna play, play, play, play, play And the haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate Baby, I'm just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shake I shake it off, I shake it off
The repetition of "play, play, play," "hate, hate, hate," and "shake, shake, shake" emphasizes the relentless nature of the external negativity and the speaker's determined act of dismissal.
When the sounds of a poem are harsh and grating
Cacophony
A figure of speech in which apparently contradictory terms appear in conjunction (jumbo shrimp)
Oxymoron
"It's just a scratch" (said about a deep wound)
Understatement
Shakespeare wrote in iambic pentameter. What does this mean?
Five feet, with an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable (da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM).
Hamilton - My Shot (Excerpt)
I am not throwing away my shot! I am not throwing away my shot! Hey yo, I'm just like my country, I'm young, scrappy and hungry, And I'm not throwing away my shot!
The "shot" symbolizes opportunity, ambition, and the chance to make a significant impact, reflecting Hamilton's drive and his belief in seizing his moment.
A harmonious succession of words having a pleasing sound
Euphony
A pause in a line. Poets use it for many reasons: disrupting the flow of the text, placing emphasis on certain words, phrases, and ideas, replicating conversational tone/flow of language, and reinforcing the meaning of a poem
Caesura
Any instance when the speaker talks to a person or object that is absent from the poem (Oh, sun)
Apostrophe
Masculine rhyme
Tracy Chapman - Fast Car (Chorus)
You got a fast car I want a ticket to anywhere Maybe we can make a deal Maybe together we can get somewhere
AP Lit Question: Analyze the symbolism of the "fast car" in this chorus. What does it represent for the speaker?
The "fast car" symbolizes the hope for escape, freedom, and a better life, representing a potential vehicle to transcend their current circumstances and reach "anywhere."