Poetry Terms

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Verse

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A metric line of poetry; as a whole, 'verse' can refer to poetry itself.

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Alliteration

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The repetition of initial consonant sounds in words. Example: She sells seashells down by the seashore.

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Assonance

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The repetition of vowel sounds in words. Example: The rain in Spain falls mainly in the plains.

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Blank Verse

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Unrhymed lines of iambic pentameter. Example 1: 'But soft! What light through yonder window breaks?' Example 2: 'It is the east. And Juliet is the sun!' [William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet]

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Consonance

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The repetition of consonant sounds. Example: She gave the big dog a hug.

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Couplet

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A pair of lines in poetry of a similar length that rhyme. Example: 'Tell me if you think you know / How to make a turtle go.' [Charles Ghinga, Turtle Trouble]

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Elegy

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A poem with a very sad, melancholy mood. Often an elegy is written for someone who has recently died.

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Free Verse

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A poem that does not have a regular rhythm or rhyme.

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Haiku

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A form of Japanese poetry that has three lines: the first line has five syllables, the second has seven syllables, and the third has five syllables. Example: 'Behind me the moon / Brushes shadows of pine trees / Lightly on the floor.' [Kikaku]

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Imagery

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Descriptive language that creates pictures in the reader’s mind. Certain words and comparisons are used to help the reader ‘see’ what’s going on and evoke a certain mood or emotion.