Important Poetry Terms by Katherine CampbellToday I will discuss some of the most important terms that you need to know when it comes to reading, learning, and understanding poetry.
Here are the 15 basic poetry terms that are necessary to understand so that you can fully comprehend all different aspects of poetry. Some of these terms may be familiar, while others may seem strange and foreign. By the end of this PowerPoint you will understand and be able to effectively use all of these terms.
Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds in a poem. Robert Frost’s poem Nothing Gold Can Stay is a very good example of the use of Alliteration.Note that the sounds from the g, h, and d all repeat making the poem sound like a tongue-twister.
This is an allusion because Helen of Troy was said to be the most beautiful women in all of history.
Notice that the vowel “e” is repeated in the words seared, bleared, and smeared.
In this example it is easy to tell that the oak tree is not similar to the squirrel, therefore making this a good example of conceit.
This example of a haiku is silly, but it does follow the structure that is needed for it to be a haiku, making it indeed a haiku.
This too is also an example of a haiku.
Not only do we hear hyperbole in poetry, but it is used in every day language as well.
While the word imagery makes you think of an image, it also refers to the sense of smell, touch, hearing, taste, as well as sight.
Metaphors and similies are very similar, be careful when you look at the definitions between the two.
The x means that the syllable is unstressed a / means that the syllable is stressed. In these examples, the bolded words are stressed, represented by the / and the unbolded words are not stressed represented by the x.
Onomatopoeia words are by far some of the most exciting words used in poetry and language as a whole.
Notice that a simile uses “like” or “as” and a metaphor does not use “like” or “as”
