Poetic Devices
A comparison of two things using "like" or "as"
What is simile
This famous American poet wrote "#359"
Who is Emily Dickinson
A different version or a different approach to a topic or theme.
What is variation?
A group of lines in a poem.
What is a stanza
This is the standard way an audience shows approval or "claps" during a poetry slam.
What is finger snaps?
The repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of lines or clauses.
What is anaphora
In "When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer," the speaker leaves a lecture hall to look at these in "perfect silence."
What are the stars
To feel regret or be sorry for something.
What is to rue?
The pattern of end rhymes in a poem, often labeled with letters like AABB or ABAB.
What is rhyme scheme
The attitude of a piece of writing, shown through the author's choice of style and words.
What is tone?
A poem about someone or something who is not present.
What is apostrophe
This poet wrote the short, famous apology poem "This Is Just to Say" about eating plums.
Who is William Carlos Williams
This adjective describes something that is extremely big or expansive.
What is vast?
The place where a poet chooses to end one line and start another.
What is line break
Describing non-human things as if they had human qualities or feelings.
What is personification?
A poem written about the craft of poetry, or poetry itself.
What is ars poetica
This author wrote the poem "To the Snake," which explores a complex reaction to a dangerous animal.
Who is Denise Levertov
An indirect reference to a famous person, place, event, or work of art.
What is an allusion?
When the same form is repeated in a series of lines or stanzas; poets often use this to demonstrate that they are linking two ideas or descriptions.
What is parallel structure?
Language that means more than its literal, dictionary definition.
What is figurative language?
A 19-line poem with a specific pattern of repeating lines and a strict rhyme scheme.
What is villanelle?
In the poem "Isla," the author describes the sights and memories of this Caribbean island.
What is Cuba
This word describes someone who is intensely focused or "frozen" with attention.
What is transfixed?
When two words share the same ending consonant sound.
What is slant rhyme?
A small part or section taken from a larger work of literature.
What is excerpt?