A Really Short Glossary of Poetic Terms

An acrostic is...

• a poem where initial letters of each line spell out a word or phrase when read vertically.

• a piece of writing in which particular words can be read upside down to form a picture.

• a composition in verse in which sets of letters form an alphabetical sequence.

A Ballad is

• a very long epic poem.

• a popular poem or song that tells a story.

• an ancient poem about The Holy Grail.

Many traditional Christmas songs are

Answer explanation

Carols are often sung by groups 'a capella'.

An Elegy expresses...

• happiness.

• sorrow.

• political views.

A Figure of Speech is an expressive, nonliteral use of language.

• True.

• False

A Haiku is a popular unrhymed verse form which originated in...

Answer explanation

Use a haiku syllable counter to help you build your own haiku poems! :-)

e.g. haikusyllableconter.com

Limericks are light-verse forms of five lines which were popularised in the 19th century by...

• Shakespeare.

• Maya Angelou.

• Edward Lear.

lyrics are the words of a...

Shakespeare was famous for his plays and his..

• sonnets.

• odes.

• hymns.

Answer explanation

Read one of Shakespeare's most famous sonnets.

;-)

Choose the best answer to complete these statements:

- The British crown created the post of . . . . . . . . . . . . . in 1688.

- In the U.S., the . . . . . . . . . . . . . . promotes poetry to the public through readings, or educational projects.

• Poet's Corner

• Poet Laureate

• Poetaster