Set 11
A lengthy, elevated poem that celebrates the exploits of a hero. Beowulf is a prime example.
epic
A simple, symbolic story, usually employing animals as characters. Aesop and La Fontaine are authors who excel at this form.
fable
The shape or structure of a literary work.
form
A verbal approximation of a sensory impression, concept, or emotion.
image
The total effect of related sensory images in a work of literature.
imagery
A brief witty poem. Pope often utilizes this form for satiric commentary.
epigram
The body of devices that enables the writer to operate on levels other than the literal one. It includes metaphor, simile, symbol, motif, hyperbole, and others.
figurative language
Poetry without a defined form, meter, or rhyme scheme.
free verse
A type of lyric poem which extols the virtues of an ideal place or time.
idyll
Writing that reflects a personal image of a character, event, or concept. The Secret Sharer is a fine example.
impressionism
a device of repetition commonly found in ballads. It involves the repetition of lines or stanzas with small but crucial changes made to a few words from one to the next, and has an effect of narrative progression or suspense.
Eg: "then they were erased”, “then we were erased” -- “i am graffiti”
Incremental repetition
A device that enables a writer to refer to past thoughts, events, episodes.
flashback
Extreme exaggeration. In “My Love is Like a Red, Red Rose,” Burns speaks of loving “until all the seas run dry.”
hyperbole
A pattern of beats in poetry. (Answers to questions in poetry review: 5, 3, 2, 2, 4)
meter
A direct comparison between dissimilar things. “Your eyes are stars” is an example.
metaphor
Background information presented in a literary work.
exposition
A metrical unit in poetry; a syllabic measure of a line: iamb, trochee, anapest, dactyl, and spondee.
foot
A metrical foot consisting of an unaccented syllable followed by an accented one; the most common poetic foot in the English language, (˘ ´).
iamb
A type of poetry characterized by emotion, personal feelings, and brevity; a large and inclusive category of poetry that exhibits rhyme, meter, and reflective thought.
lyric poetry
An unexpected twist or contrast between what happens and what was intended or expected to happen. It involves dialogue and situation, and it can be intentional or unplanned.
"Introduction to Poetry" by Billy Collins and the ending of Things Fall Apart are good examples of these.
irony
NOTE: Dramatic irony centers around the ignorance of those involved while the audience is aware of the circumstance.
A technique in poetry that involves the running on of a line or stanza. It enables the poem to move and to develop coherence as well as directing the reader with regard to form and meaning. Walt Whitman uses this continually.
enjambment
Hints of future events in a literary work.
foreshadowing
A type of literature that explores narratives by and about characters who inhabit and experience their reality differently from what we term the objective world. Writers who are frequently placed in this category include Gabriel García Márquez, Günter Grass, and Isabel Allende.
magical realism
Refers to the work of poets like John Donne who explore highly complex, philosophical ideas through extended metaphors and paradox.
metaphysical poetry
A figure of speech in which a representative term is used for a larger idea. (“The pen is mightier than the sword.”)
metonymy