Poetry Terms

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What is meter in poetry?

Back

Systematically arranged and measured rhythm in verse.

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What is Blank Verse?

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Poetry written with a precise meter—almost always iambic pentameter—that does not rhyme.

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What is a Pastoral poem?

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A poem dealing with rural life, often involving shepherds, representing the idealized version of country life.

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What is a Ballad?

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A form of narrative verse that can be either poetic or musical, typically following a pattern of rhymed quatrains.

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What is a Sestet?

Back

A six-line stanza, or the final six lines of a 14-line Italian or Petrarchan sonnet.

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What is a Couplet?

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A pair of successive lines of verse, typically rhymed and of the same length.

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What is a Limerick?

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A humorous poem consisting of five lines with a specific rhythm and rhyme scheme (AABBA).

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What is Free Verse?

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Poetry that does not follow a specific meter or rhyme scheme.

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What is an Ode?

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A lyrical poem that expresses emotion and is often addressed to a particular subject.

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What is an Elegy?

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A mournful poem, typically written in remembrance of someone who has died.