The routledge dictionary of literary terms the routledge dictionary of literary termsis a twentyfirst century update of roger fowlers seminal dictionary of modern critical terms. Glossary of poetic terms academy of american poets. The longman dictionary of poetic terms longman english and. From abcedarian to zeugma, this is one of the best poetry glossaries weve seen. Choose from 500 different sets of poetic and literary terms figures speech poetry flashcards on quizlet.
Learn poetic and literary terms figures speech poetry with free interactive flashcards. The most natural and common kind of meter in english. Sorted alphabetically, and thoroughly crossreferenced. Use of word pictures, figures of speech similes, metaphors, personification and description to. Bringing together original entries written by such celebrated theorists as terry eagleton and malcolm bradbury. Modern and contemporary poets of the twentieth and twentyfirst centuries often employ free verse. The following techniques are used by poets to play on the way words sound when they are read out loud. Focus on the different effects the same technique evokes in the reader.
The nonsense line, higgledy, piggledy, is dactylic, with the accent on the first syllable and the two syllables following falling off from that accent in each word. The teams competed in a david and goliath struggle. Simile a comparison between two objects using like. This list can also be easily modified to create a pop quiz or exam on common poetry terms. Poetic terms name make flashcards for the following poetic terms. Glossary of poetic and literary terminology the english. Find examples in the text as your read love that dog cite examples with quotes and page numbers. B how the poem appears on the page, how it is constructed and organised. The penguin dictionary of literary terms and literary theory. Glossary of poetic terms define the following terms as they apply to poetry. Glossary of poetic terms such a comprehensive list of poetic terms that poets of all levels and teachers would benefit by it. Allusion a reference to an unmentioned quote, person, or event that the author assumes the reader will recognize. These various deliberate arrangements of words have been identified.
This list is handy reference when performing poetry analysis or writing assignments. Formerly the longman dictionary of poetic terms, this newly updated version contains over 1,600 entries on the devices, techniques, history, theory, and terminology of poetry from the classical period to the present. The verse is free in not being bound by earlier poetic conventions requiring poems to adhere to an explicit and identifiable meter and rhyme scheme in a form such as the sonnet or ballad. In vachel lindsays what the rattlesnake said, for example, a snake describes the fears of his imagined prey. Dictionary of poetic terms university of north texas press. Ballad a simple narrative poem of folk origin, composed in short stanzas and adapted for singing. Literary terms page 1 a p literary terms allegory story or poem in which characters, settings, and events stand for other people or events or for abstract ideas or qualities.
This website and its content is subject to our terms and conditions. Pdf evaluation of american joint committee on cancer. Periods, styles and movements for movements see list of schools of poetry. Acquaint yourself with 20 essential poetry terms to know. Familiarizing students with these terms will help them better read and create poetry. An allegory is a kind of extended metaphor a metaphor that weaves throughout the poem in which objects, persons, and actions stand for another meaning. Find out where famous poets are buried,browse our glossary of poetic terms and join our poetry forum and receive friendly, constructive feedback from other poets. Imagery figurative language used to represent an image. Many poetic genres have a long history, and new poems almost always seek to explore a new aspect of the traditional style and thus to redefine the genre in some way. Repeated consonant sounds at the beginning of words placed near each other.
The longman dictionary of poetic terms longman english and humanities series myers, jack elliott, simms, michael on. Jun 05, 2008 we use your linkedin profile and activity data to personalize ads and to show you more relevant ads. Alliteration happens when words that begin with the same sound are placed close to one another. Hosted by robert shubinski, it provides definitions, pronunciation guides, examples and crossreferences.
List of poetic terms allegory a narrative, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to contain a hidden meaning most often intentional that is typically moral or political. Many of these definitions are reprinted from edward hirschs a poets glossary. The dictionary of poetic terms is compact enough for classroom use, but thorough enough to be the. This glossary of poetry terms from accent to versification is an absolute musthave resource for poetry class. Poetic meters such as trochaic and dactylic that move or fall from a stressed to an unstressed syllable. To bring it uptodate, the authors have added fifty new entries and examples. Algernon charles swinburnes the roundel consists of eleven lines, two stanzas, where the first two lines are repeated, the second time at the poems end. Showing 1 to 20 of 246 terms abecedarian related to acrostic, a poem in which the first letter of each line or stanza follows sequentially through the alphabet. An allegory generally teaches a lesson by means of an interesting story. Literary terms refer to the technique, style, and formatting used by writers and speakers to masterfully emphasize, embellish, or strengthen their compositions.
Tes global ltd is registered in england company no 02017289 with its registered office. This is a list of terms for describing texts, with an emphasis on terms that apply specifically to poetry, that appear most frequently in literary criticism, or for which. Images are references that trigger the mind to fuse together memories of sight visual, sounds auditory, tastes gustatory, smells olfactory. Alliteration the repetition of identical consonant sounds, usually at the beginning of words with the words near to each other. From alliteration to epigraph, to tetrameter, learn important poetic devices. Related to acrostic, a poem in which the first letter of each line or stanza follows sequentially through the alphabet. Antimetabole repetition of words in successive clauses in reverse grammatical order. Feb 01, 2012 this website and its content is subject to our terms and conditions. Poetic terms factsheet entry 3 poets use certain techniques to provide intense descriptions in poetry and fiction. Think about the terms when you read, and look out for examples of each. Tes global ltd is registered in england company no 02017289 with its registered office at 26 red lion square london wc1r 4hq.
This will be extremely helpful when comparing the poem in your exam. A reference to a historical figure, place, or event. Dec 29, 2009 this website and its content is subject to our terms and conditions. Lord of the flies alliteration repetition of the same or similar consonant sounds in words that are close together. Poetic license a poets departure from the rules of grammar, syntax, and vocabulary in order to maintain a metrical or rhyme scheme. All the content of this paper consists of his personal thoughts on glossary of poetic terms. Look here for answers to your questions on the language we use to talk about poetry. Browse this list of poetic terms, including literary devices, poetic forms and techniques, and schools and movements. Start by browsing by letter, or click on the glossary item below.