Poetry Terms

Sound Devices

1.       Rhyme: using the same vowel and consonant sound at the end of two words

2.       Repetition: using the same word or phrase more than once

3.       Alliteration: using the same consonant at the beginning of words

Devices

1.       Symbol: an object, person, or idea that stands for something beyond itself

2.       Imagery: words and phrases that appeal to your senses

3.       Figurative Language: writing that is not to be taken literally

•  Metaphor: comparing two things without using the words “like” or “as”
•  Simile: comparing two things using the words “like” or “as”
•  Personification: description of something nonhuman as if it were human

Forms & Purpose

1.       Narrative: tells a story

2.       Ballad(narrative): based on ancient customs of telling stories in a song; subject-adventure, romance, dramatic event; adventures were told in a serious way

3.       Lyric Poem: a highly musical verse that expresses the observations and feelings of a single speaker