Poetry Terms

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What is a simile?

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A simile is a figure of speech that compares two unlike things using the words 'like' or 'as'. For example, 'She was as quiet as a mouse.'

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CCSS.L.4.5A

CCSS.L.5.5A

CCSS.RL.5.4

CCSS.W.11-12.2D

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What is onomatopoeia?

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Onomatopoeia refers to words that sound like the object or action they refer to, such as 'buzz', 'bang', or 'sizzle'.

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CCSS.L.4.5

CCSS.L.5.5

CCSS.L.6.5

CCSS.L.7.5

CCSS.L.8.5

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What is personification?

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Personification is a literary device where human qualities are attributed to animals, inanimate objects, or abstract concepts. For example, 'The sun smiled on the angry clouds.'

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CCSS.L.6.5A

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What is a metaphor?

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A metaphor is a figure of speech that makes a direct comparison between two unlike things without using 'like' or 'as'. For example, 'Time is a thief.'

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CCSS.RL.5.3

CCSS.RL.5.5

CCSS.RL.6.3

CCSS.RL.7.3

CCSS.RL.8.3

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What is alliteration?

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Alliteration is the repetition of the same initial consonant sound in a series of words. For example, 'She sells sea shells by the sea shore.'

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CCSS.RL.5.5

CCSS.RL.6.3

CCSS.RL.7.3

CCSS.RL.8.3

CCSS.RL.9-10.3

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What is rhyme?

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Rhyme is the repetition of similar sounds in the final syllables of words, often used in poetry. For example, 'cat' and 'hat' rhyme.

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CCSS.RL.6.4

CCSS.RL.7.10

CCSS.RL.7.4

CCSS.RL.7.5

CCSS.RL.8.4

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What is meter in poetry?

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Meter is the rhythmic structure of verses in poetry, determined by the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables.

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CCSS.RI.5.10

CCSS.RI.6.4

CCSS.RI.7.4

CCSS.RI.8.4

CCSS.RI.9-10.4

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What is a stanza?

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A stanza is a grouped set of lines in a poem, often separated by a space from other stanzas, similar to a paragraph in prose.

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CCSS.RL.6.4

CCSS.RL.7.10

CCSS.RL.7.4

CCSS.RL.7.5

CCSS.RL.8.5

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What is a theme in poetry?

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The theme is the central idea or message conveyed in a poem, often reflecting on universal human experiences.

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CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

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What is imagery in poetry?

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Imagery refers to descriptive language that appeals to the senses and creates vivid pictures in the reader's mind.

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CCSS.RL.7.10

CCSS.RL.7.4

CCSS.RL.7.5

CCSS.RL.8.10

CCSS.RL.8.5