Figurative Language & Sound Devices
Simile
A comparison using "like" or "as" (e.g., "Her smile was as bright as the sun.”).
Stanza
A grouped set of lines in a poem (like a paragraph in prose).
Meter
The pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in poetry.
Tone
The poet’s attitude toward the subject (e.g., serious, humorous, sorrowful).
Onomatopoeia
Words that imitate sounds (e.g., "buzz," "bang," “sizzle").
Couplet
A pair of lines that usually rhyme (e.g., "The wind does howl, the rain does pour, / Like ghosts that knock upon my door.”)
Caesura
A pause or break within a line of poetry (e.g., "To err is human; || to forgive, divine.").
Mood
The feeling created in the reader by a poem (e.g., peaceful, eerie, melancholic).
Alliteration
Alliteration – Repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words (e.g., "She sells sea shells by the sea shore."). - B, C, D, F, G, H, J, K, L, M, N, P, Q, R, S, T, V, W, X, Y, Z.
Rhyme Scheme
The pattern of rhymes in a poem, often labeled with letters (e.g., ABAB, AABB).
Iambic Pentameter
Iambic Pentameter – A line of poetry with five iambs (unstressed-stressed syllables)
Symbolism
Using an object or action to represent a deeper meaning (e.g., a dove represents peace).
Assonance
Repetition of vowel sounds within words (e.g., "The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain."). - A, E, I, O and U (and sometimes W and Y)
Blank Verse
Unrhymed poetry written in iambic pentameter (often used by Shakespeare).
What is the syllable pattern for a haiku?
5-7-5
Theme
The main message or idea of the poem (e.g., love, war, nature, identity).
Consonance
Repetition of consonant sounds within or at the end of words (e.g., "pitter-patter", a bond that transcends the beyond.)
Iambic Pentameter
Iambic pentameter (pronounced eye-AM-bik pen-TAM-i-ter) is a rhythmic pattern that consists of ten syllables per line, with alternating stressed and unstressed syllables. The pattern that emerges sounds like this: da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM.
What is the rhyme scheme of a sonnet?
ABABCDCDEFEFGG