Examples of Poetry Terms and Definitions
Alliteration
Definition: The repetition of the beginning consonant sounds of neighboring words within a line
Example: “Some Song Sung” or “Heap” and “Recent”
Assonance
Definition: The relatively close use of the same or similar vowel sounds but with different end consonants
Example: “White and Shining” or “Heap and Recent”
Consonance
Definition: The close repetition of the same end consonants, but with differing vowel sounds coming before
Example: “Downtown and Unbound”
Enjambment
Definition:The continuation of the sense of a sentence of phrase beyond the end of a line
Example: see most poems
End Rhyme
Definition: A rhyme between the last word of syllable of one line of poetry with the last word or syllable of another line
Example: “Life is filled with many blessings
some beyond your wildest guessings”
Internal Rhyme
Definition: Also called a middle rhyme, a rhyme occurring within the line. The rhyme may be with two (or more) words within the line.
Example: “At the sight of great light dawning” (sight and light)
Meter
Definition: A measure of rhythm (set rhythm) in a poem, organized into groups of syllables at regular intervals in a line of poetry
Example: See meter notes
Free Verse
Definition: Poetry that doesn’t rhyme or have a regular meter or rhythm.
Example: See any line from “Romeo and Juliet”
Rhythm
Definition: A musical quality produced by the repetition of stressed and unstressed syllables (meter) or by the repetition of words and phrases or even whole lines or sentences
Example: Most poems have this
Repetition
Definition: The repetition of sound, syllables, words, phrases, lines, and sound patterns
Example: None
Imagery
Definition: Words in a literary work that are designed to create images in your mind. Auditory images, tactile (touch) images, and visual images etc…
Example: “The dewey green grass shone reflected by the morning sun”
Metaphor
Definition: A comparison that suggests that one thing is the same as another; metaphors often use a being verb, like “is” or “was” to equate the two things
Example: “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?”
Simile
Definition: A comparison that says one thing is like another’ a smile contains the word “like” or “as”
Example: “I am a thief” or “music is like a dream”
Onomatopoeia
Definition: Words that imitate sounds, like buzz, hiss, clang’ any word whose sound is suggestive of its meaning
Example: “clang clash bang”
Personification
Definition: A type of metaphor in which distinctive human characteristics, e.g. honesty, emotion, etc… are given to an animal, object, or idea
Example: “The castle gate loomed harshly over the new servants”