Poetry Terms

The occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words.

• Metaphor

• Meter

• Alliteration

• Allusion

Tags

CCSS.L.4.5

CCSS.L.5.5

CCSS.L.6.5

CCSS.RL.2.4

CCSS.RL.7.4

A single line of poetry.

• Rhyme

• Meter

• Verse

• Simile

Tags

CCSS.L.8.6

CCSS.L.9-10.6

CCSS.W.11-12.2D

CCSS.W.8.2D

CCSS.W.9-10.2D

This occurs when one line ends without a pause or any punctuation and continues onto the next line.

• Onomatopoeia

• Enjambment

• Ballad

• Metaphor

Tags

CCSS.RI.11-12.4

CCSS.RI.7.4

CCSS.RI.8.4

CCSS.RI.9-10.4

CCSS.RI.9-10.4

A brief reference to a real or fictional person, event, place, or work of art.

• Allusion

• Consonance

• Diction

• Free Verse

Tags

CCSS.RL.8.10

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.8.5

CCSS.RL.9-10.10

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

A figure of speech that makes a comparison between two things using connecting words, such as “like” or “as.”

• Metaphor

• Simile

• Free Verse

• Meter

Tags

CCSS.RL.8.10

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.8.5

CCSS.RL.9-10.10

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

A figure of speech that makes a comparison between two things without using connecting words, such as “like” or “as.”

• Metaphor

• Simile

• Free Verse

• Diction

Tags

CCSS.RL.8.10

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.8.5

CCSS.RL.9-10.10

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

A word that sounds like what it means.

• Ballad

• Theme

• Stanza

• Onomatopoeia

Tags

CCSS.L.8.6

CCSS.L.9-10.6

CCSS.W.7.2D

CCSS.W.8.2D

CCSS.W.9-10.2D

Poetry that does not rhyme or have a measurable meter.

• Meter

• Free Verse

• Symbol

• Diction

Tags

CCSS.RI.11-12.4

CCSS.RI.7.4

CCSS.RI.8.4

CCSS.RI.9-10.4

CCSS.RI.9-10.4

The attitude the poem’s narrator (this may or may not be the actual poet) takes towards a subject or character: serious, humorous, sarcastic, ironic, concerned, tongue-in-cheek, solemn, objective, etc.

• Tone

• Theme

• Meter

• Free Verse

Tags

CCSS.RL.8.10

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.8.5

CCSS.RL.9-10.10

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

The author’s specific word choice.

• Diction

• Meter

• Symbol

• Verse

Tags

CCSS.RL.8.10

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.8.5

CCSS.RL.9-10.10

CCSS.RL.9-10.9