Poetry Elements

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Allusion

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A reference to a well-known person, place, thing, or event of historical, cultural, or literary importance. The reader must use background knowledge to understand the meaning.

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Poem

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A collection of words written to inspire ideas, imagination, or emotion in the reader.

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Poet

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The author of a poem.

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Personification

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A figure of speech in which nonhuman things are given human qualities.

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Stanza

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A group of lines in a poem, similar to a paragraph in other kinds of text.

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Metaphor

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A figure of speech that makes a comparison between two unlike things without using 'like' or 'as'.

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Simile

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A figure of speech that makes a comparison between two unlike things using 'like' or 'as'.

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Oxymoron

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A figure of speech in which contradictory terms appear in conjunction.

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Theme

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The central idea or message in a poem.

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Mood

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The emotional atmosphere created by a poem, influencing how the reader feels.