Poetry Quiz Study Guide

Front

Alliteration

Back

The repetition of the same sound or letter at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words. Example: "She sells seashells by the seashore."

Front

Allusion

Back

A reference to a well-known person, place, event, or work of art, often used to enhance meaning. Example: "He was a real Romeo with the ladies."

Front

Anaphora

Back

The repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or lines. Example: "I have a dream..." (Martin Luther King Jr.)

Front

Apostrophe

Back

A figure of speech where an absent person, abstract idea, or thing is directly addressed. Example: "O Death, where is thy sting?"

Front

Assonance

Back

The repetition of vowel sounds in nearby words. Example: "The early bird catches the worm."

Front

Catalog

Back

A list of people, things, or ideas, often used for poetic or rhetorical effect. Example: Whitman’s list of workers in “I Hear America Singing.”

Front

Colloquialism

Back

Informal language or slang used in everyday speech. Example: "Gonna" instead of "going to."

Front

Consonance

Back

The repetition of consonant sounds in close proximity within a sentence or phrase. Example: "Pitter-patter" or "All mammals named Sam are clammy."

Front

Free Verse

Back

Poetry that does not follow a specific meter or rhyme scheme. Example: Whitman’s “Song of Myself” is written in free verse.

Front

Imagery

Back

Descriptive language that appeals to the senses, creating a vivid mental picture. Example: "The golden sun bathed the hills in warmth."