Poetry terms

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Onomatopoeia

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A word that imitates the natural sounds of a thing, e.g., 'buzz', 'sizzle', 'bang'.

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Alliteration

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The occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words, e.g., 'She sells sea shells by the sea shore.'

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Metaphor

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A figure of speech that makes a comparison between two things without using connecting words like 'like' or 'as', e.g., 'Time is a thief.'

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Hyperbole

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An exaggerated statement not meant to be taken literally, e.g., 'I’m so hungry I could eat a horse.'

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Stanza

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A unified group of lines in poetry, often marked by spacing between sections.

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Simile

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A figure of speech that compares two different things using 'like' or 'as', e.g., 'Her smile is like the sun.'

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Diction

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The choice and use of words and phrases in speech or writing, which can affect tone and meaning.

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Assonance

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The repetition of vowel sounds in nearby words, e.g., 'Hear the mellow wedding bells.'

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Consonance

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The repetition of consonant sounds in close proximity, e.g., 'The lumpy, bumpy road.'

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Theme

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