Basic Poetry Terms

Like paragraphs are part of a story, these are part of a poem; must be at least two lines and is usually separated from other chunks of a text with a space between the lines.

• stanza

• line

• speaker

• rhyme

usually one row of text in the poem that does NOT always end with a period

• line

• speaker

• rhyme

• stanza

Identical or similar sounds at the end of lines

• line

• speaker

• rhyme

• stanza

the character who is the voice of the poem (usually not the author; sometimes this character is a part of the poem OR outside of the poem

• line

• speaker

• rhyme

• stanza

The repeated use of a word or phrase in a poem; used for emphasis and it helps the reader remember the important parts of the poem.

• rhyme scheme

• repetition

• lyric

The pattern of rhymes in a poem. For example: AABB, ABAB, ABCD, or ABBA pattern.

• rhyme scheme

• repetition

• lyric

The words of a song

• lyric

• repetition

• rhyme scheme

a humorous poem that is three long and two short lines that rhyme in the AABBA pattern.

• Limerick

• Ballad

• Free Verse

• Couplet

a Japanese poem of seventeen syllables.  The poem is three lines long.  Line 1 is 5 syllables, line 2 is 7 syllables, and line 3 is 5 syllables. This type of poem does NOT rhyme. 

• Limerick

• Haiku

• Free Verse

• Couplet

a two line poem and the last word of each line rhymes; usually the lines have the same number of syllables.

• Limerick

• Couplet

• Haiku

• Free Verse