Poetry Structure
This is the term for the arrangement of lines and stanzas in a poem.
Structure
The beat or musical quality of a poem created by meter and sound devices.
Rhythm
Repetition of consonant sounds within or at the end of words.
Consonance
This term refers to the voice narrating the poem — not necessarily the poet.
Speaker
A brief reference to a well-known person, place, event, or work of art or literature.
Allusion
This is the basic unit of a poem, similar to a sentence in prose.
Line
Poetry without a regular rhyme scheme or meter.
Free verse
Repetition of vowel sounds in nearby words.
Assonance
This is the central message or underlying idea in a poem, often about life, society, or human nature.
Theme
A type of poem that tells a story, often set to music and with a repeated refrain.
Ballad
When a line of poetry continues onto the next line without a pause or punctuation.
Enjambment
The pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in a line of poetry.
Meter
Repetition of the same initial consonant sounds in a sequence of words.
Alliteration
This process involves restating a poem’s lines in your own words to clarify meaning.
Paraphrase
A comparison that says one thing is another.
Metaphor
A 14-line poem, often written in iambic pentameter, is called this.
Stanza
A line of poetry written in five iambs (da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM).
Iambic Pentameter
A writer’s choice of words, which affects tone and meaning.
Diction
This poetic shift in tone, perspective, or argument often marks a dramatic change in the poem’s direction.
Turns
A comparison using like or as.
Simile
In formal poetry, this is the pattern of rhymes at the end of each line, often labeled with letters.
Rhyme Scheme
The writer’s attitude toward the subject or audience.
Tone
A word that imitates the sound it describes.
Onomatopoeia
Name the Big Six.
Title, Speaker, Theme, Tools, Turns, Paraphrase
A person, place, or thing that represents something beyond its literal meaning.
Symbol