Understanding Poetry: A Flashcard

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What is Blank Verse?

Back

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

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Define Juxtaposition.

Back

Placing two or more elements side by side to emphasize their differences.

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What is an Elegy?

Back

A poem that reflects upon death or loss, traditionally containing themes of mourning, loss, and reflection.

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What is a Tercet?

Back

A set or group of three lines of verse rhyming together.

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What is a Haiku?

Back

A three-line poem with seventeen syllables, written in a 5/7/5 syllable count, often focusing on images from nature.

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What is a Limerick?

Back

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

Front

Define Free Verse.

Back

Poetry that does not follow a specific meter or rhyme scheme, allowing for greater freedom of expression.

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What is a Couplet?

Back

A pair of lines in a poem that usually rhyme and have the same meter.

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What is a Quatrain?

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A stanza or poem consisting of four lines, often with alternating rhymes.

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What is an Ode?

Back

A lyrical poem that expresses praise or admiration for a person, place, thing, or idea.