Poetry Terms

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Onomatopoeia

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Words that sound like their meaning, e.g., 'buzz', 'sizzle', 'clang'.

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Stanza

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A series of lines grouped together in a poem, resembling little paragraphs.

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Enjambment

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Lines in poetry that end without punctuation and do not complete a sentence or clause.

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Diction

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The choice of words and style of expression in writing.

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Rhythm

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The beat and pace of a poem created by the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables.

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Imagery

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

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Simile

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A figure of speech comparing two unlike things using 'like' or 'as', e.g., 'as brave as a lion'.

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Metaphor

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A figure of speech that makes a direct comparison between two unlike things, e.g., 'Time is a thief'.

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Alliteration

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The repetition of the same initial consonant sounds in a sequence of words, e.g., 'She sells sea shells'.

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Assonance

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The repetition of vowel sounds within nearby words, e.g., 'The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain'.