Poetry Terms and Definitions

Front

The distinctive way a poem is laid out on the page; poems are usually divided into lines.

Back

Form

Front

A group of lines that form a unit in a poem (equivalent to a paragraph).

Back

Stanza

Front

A stanza with 2 lines.

Back

Couplet

Front

A stanza with 4 lines.

Back

Quatrain

Front

A pause or break within a line of poetry, marked by punctuation or grammatical boundaries.

Back

Caesura

Front

When one line of poetry flows into the next without punctuation.

Back

Enjambment

Front

A line that contains a complete thought and ends with punctuation.

Back

End-stopped line

Front

Poetry written in unrhymed iambic pentameter.

Back

Blank Verse

Front

A 14-line poem in iambic pentameter, typically with a set rhyme scheme.

Back

Sonnet

Front

A 3-line poem with a syllable pattern of 5-7-5, often about nature.

Back

Haiku