Poetry Terms

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Allusion

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A brief and indirect reference to a person, place, thing, or idea of historical, cultural, literary, or political significance.

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Ballad

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A type of poem that tells a story and was traditionally set to music.

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Alliteration

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Repetition of a sound at the beginning of two or more neighboring words.

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Enjambment

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A term used in poetry to refer to lines that end without punctuation and without completing a sentence or clause.

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Consonance

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The repetition of the same consonant sounds in a line of text, usually found at the end or middle of words.

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Metaphor

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A figure of speech that makes a comparison between two unlike things by stating one is the other.

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Simile

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A figure of speech that compares two different things using the words 'like' or 'as'.

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Onomatopoeia

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A word that phonetically imitates, resembles, or suggests the sound it describes.

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Imagery

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Descriptive language that appeals to the senses and creates mental images.

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Theme

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The central idea or message in a literary work, often a universal truth.