Poetry Terms

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What is a simile?

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A figure of speech that uses 'like' or 'as' to make a direct comparison between two different objects, actions, or qualities. Example: 'The sky looked like an artist’s canvas.'

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What is alliteration?

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The repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words that are close to one another. Example: 'Mickey Mouse; Donald Duck.'

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What is repetition in poetry?

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Repeating sounds, words, phrases, lines, or entire stanzas to underscore meaning, enhance rhythm, or add musical quality. Example: 'O, my love is like a red, red rose…'.

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What is onomatopoeia?

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The use of words that sound like what they mean, such as 'hiss,' 'buzz,' 'slam,' and 'boom.'

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What is a rhyme scheme?

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The pattern established by the arrangement of rhymes in a stanza or poem, described using letters of the alphabet (e.g., ababbcc).

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What is a metaphor?

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A figure of speech that makes a direct comparison between two unlike things without using 'like' or 'as.' Example: 'Time is a thief.'

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What is personification?

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Attributing human characteristics to non-human objects or abstract ideas. Example: 'The wind whispered through the trees.'

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What is assonance?

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The repetition of vowel sounds within nearby words. Example: 'The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain.'

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What is a stanza?

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A grouped set of lines within a poem, often separated by a space from other stanzas.

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What is imagery in poetry?

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Descriptive language that appeals to the senses and creates vivid mental pictures. Example: 'The golden sun set over the tranquil sea.'