AP Lit Poetry Terms--what do you know?

The repetition of the same consonant sounds at the beginnings of nearby words: "descending dewdrops," "luscious lemons."

• Alliteration

• Assonance

• Consonance

• Euphony

• Cacophony

Lines and words that are musically pleasant to the ear and smooth.

• Alliteration

• Assonance

• Consonance

• Euphony

• Cacophony

Lines and words that are harsh sounding, discordant, and difficult to pronounce

• Alliteration

• Assonance

• Consonance

• Euphony

• Cacophony

The basic rhythmic structure of a line within a poem or poetic work

• stress

• meter

• foot

• caesura

• enjambment

a reference to a person, place, or event outside of the text meant to create an effect or enhance the meaning of an idea

• alliteration

• abstract

• allusion

• anachronism

A rhetorical device in which a speaker addresses a person or personified thing not present. Ex: "Twinkle, twinkle, little star,/How I wonder what you are."

• ambiguity

• antagonist

• apostrophe

• archetype

A vagueness of meaning; a conscious lack of clarity meant to evoke multiple meanings and interpretation.

• ambiguity

• antagonist

• apostrophe

• archetype

A pause somewhere in the middle of a verse, often (but not always) marked by punctuation.

Ex: "What art can a woman be good at? Oh, vain!" --"Mother and Poet" by Elizabeth Barrett

• caesura

• cacophony

• couplet

• consonance

A pair of rhyming lines in a poem. Shakespeare ends all his sonnets with one.

• caesura

• cacophony

• couplet

• consonance

The suggested or implied meaning of a word; the emotional association attached to a word.

• catharsis

• connotation

• climax

• caricature