Poetry Vocabulary

Front

The repetition of initial consonant sound of two or more adjacent words or stressed syllables.

Back

alliteration

Front

The writer's attitude or expression in a poem toward the subject at hand.

Back

tone

Front

Language layered with meaning by word images and figures of speech; it departs from literal meaning.

Back

figurative language

Front

The attribution of human characteristics to something nonhuman such as an animal, inanimate object, or abstract notion.

Back

personification

Front

Capital letters, line length, and word position; the "shape" of a poem

Back

graphic elements of poetry

Front

Focuses on the perspective of the speaker or the "teller" of the story or poem.

Back

first person

Front

Words or phrases that appeal to any sense or any combination of senses; it is visually descriptive.

Back

imagery

Front

The speaker is not part of the story, but narrates the thoughts and feelings of a single character while other characters are presented only externally.

Back

3rd person limited

Front

A comparison between two objects with the intent of giving clearer meaning to one of them. Often, forms of the "to be" verb are used such as is or was to help make the comparison.

Back

metaphor

Front

The repeated use of words, phrases, lines, or stanzas.

Back

repetition