Vaughan Poetic Devices and Terms
oxymoron
two opposite ideas are going to create an effect of irony (cruel kindness)
synecdoche
using a part of the whole to represent the whole thing, or the other way around. EX: Sails to refer to a whole ship, part-to-whole
imagery
visually descriptive or figurative language
paradox
contrary to expectations, existing belief or perceived opinion
antithesis
contrasting or combining two terms, phrases, or clauses with opposite meanings
theme
defined as a main idea or an underlying meaning of a literary work that may be stated directly or indirectly
didactic poem
directly instructional or informational: it teaches or explains something, such as a truth or moral
hyperbole
exaggerated statement or claims not meant to be taken literally
couplet
having two successive rhyming lines in a verse and has the same meter to form a complete thought
personification
human qualities are given to animals, objects or ideas
free verse
open form of poetry - does not use consistent meter patterns, rhyme, or any other musical pattern
sestina
poem of fixed form of six stanzas of six lines each followed by a three line envoi. The words that end each line of the first stanza are used as line endings in each of the following stanzas, rotated in a set pattern
blank verse
poetry without rhyme, especially using iambic pentameter
consonance
refers to repetitive sounds produced by consonants within a sentence or phrase. Often takes place in a quick succession such as pitter, patter
pastoral poetry
represents an idealistic, almost Utopian, view of rural life, shepherd and shepherdesses are innocent, pure, and free and has a lot to do with love
internal rhyme
rhyme that occurs within a single line of verse, or between internal phrases across multiple lines
figurative language
simile, metaphor, personification
diction
the choice and use of words and phrases in speech or writing
irony
the expression of one's meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite, typically for humorous of emphatic effect
ballad meter
the meter common in english ballads consisting chiefly of iambic lines of 7 accents each arranged in rhymed pairs and usually printed as the 4-line ballad stanza
onomatopoeia
the naming of a thing or action by vocal imitation of the sound associated with it
alliteration
the occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words
structure
the physical form of the poem
enjambment
the running over of a sentence or phrase from one poetic line to the next
metonymy
the substitution of the name of an attribute or adjunct for that of the thing meant. EX: referring to the king as the "crown", whole-to-whole
assonance
the use of words that have the same or very similar vowel sounds near one another
sonnet
three quatrains of alternating rhyme and a couplet at the end, 14 lines long
tone
an attitude of a writer toward a subject or audience
allusion
an expression to call something to mind without mentioning it explicitly; an indirect or passing reference
refrain
a verse, line, set, or group of some lines that appears at the end of a stanza, or spreads where a poem divides into different sections.
apostrophe
an arrangement of words addressing a nonexistent person or an abstract idea in such a way as if it were present and capable of understanding feelings
extended metaphor
a comparison between two unlike things that continues throughout a series of sentences in a paragraph or lines of a poem
conceit
a fanciful expression in writing or speech; an elaborate metaphor
metaphor
a figure of speech which makes an implicit, implied or hidden comparison between two things that are unrelated but share some common characteristics
narrative poem
a form of poetry that tells a story, often making use of the voices of the narrator and characters
stanza
a group of lines forming the basic recurring metrical unit in a poem, a verse. Usually a division of four or more lines having a fixed length, meter, or rhyming scheme.
pentameter
a line of verse consisting of five metrical feet, or of two halves of each of two feet and a long syllable
symbol
a literary device that contains several layers of meaning, often concealed at first sight, and is representative of several other aspects, concepts, or traits than those that are visible in the literal translation alone. Using an object or action that means something more than its literal meaning
rhythm
a literary device which demonstrates the long and short patterns through stressed and unstressed syllables particularly in verse form
ode
a lyric poem usually of elaborate or irregular metrical form and expressive of exalted or enthusiastic emotion
end-stopped
a meterical line ending at a grammatical boundary or break such as a dash, closed parenthesis, comma, semicolon, colon, or period
poetic foot
a metric unit used in western poetry that is made up of syllables, like a measure in music
pun
a play on words in which a humorous effect is produced by using a word that suggests two or more meanings or by exploiting similar sounding words having different meanings
dramatic monologue
a poem in the form of a speech or narrative by an imagined person, in which the speaker inadvertently reveals aspects of their character while describing a particular situation or series of events
elegy
a poem of serious reflection, typically a lament for the dead
villanelle
a poem that has 19 lines and a fixed form. 5 tercets, 1 quatrain, 1 couplet. No meter, but has a set rhyme scheme.
rhyme
a repetition of similar sounds in two or more words, most often the final syllables of lines in poems and songs
heroic couplet
a rhyming pair of lines in iambic pentameter
terza rima
a rhyming verse stanza form that consists of an interlocking three-line rhyme scheme. (ABA, BCB, CDC, DED, EE)
lyric poem
a short poem of songlike quality
understatement
a statement used by a writer to make something seem less important than it actually is
meter
a unit of rhythm in poetry, the pattern of the beats
quatrain
a verse with four lines, or even a full poem containing four lines, having an independent and separate theme