Poetry Vocabulary

A description that uses “like” or “as” to make a direct comparison.

• metaphor

• simile

• imagery

A description that makes an indirect comparison without using "like" or "as".

• form

• simile

• metaphor

A collection of words that express an emotion or idea, sometimes with a specific, sound, or rhythm.

• form

• poetry

• imagery

The appearance of the lines on the page or how the poem looks.

• line

• stanza

• form

A group of words in a poem.

A row of words-not always a complete sentence!

• line

• form

• rhyme

A group of lines arranged together in a poem, usually separated by white space.

• line

• stanza

• form

The use of language or words to create sensory images or paint a picture in the reader's mind.

• rhyme

• rhythm

• imagery

Either identical or very similar repeating final sounds in the words in a poem

• rhyme

• rhythm

• imagery

When a poet uses words or phrases over and over to help create the rhythm and momentum of a poem.

• rhythm

• rhyme

• repitition

When writers use interesting sounds in their poems like onomatopoeia, alliteration, or rhyme.

• rhyme

• imagery

• sound devices