Poetry Terminology Review

The arrangement of lines into groups, separated by an empty line–similar to paragraphs.

• Stanza

• Line

• End-stop

• Caesura

When there is a break at the end of a line, denoted by a comma, period, semicolon, or other punctuation mark.

• Stanza

• End-stopped

• Caesura

• Enjambment

The continuation of a sentence or clause over a line-break; the thought runs on from one line to the next.

• Stanza

• End-stopped

• Caesura

• Enjambment

A strong pause or stop within a line. It will usually occur in the middle of a line of poetry.

• Stanza

• End-stopped

• Caesura

• Enjambment

This gives the poem its sound and differentiates it from prose.

• Rhythm

• Meter

• Enjambment

• Theme

This is the rhythm and sound pattern of a line of poetry; the number of feet in a line.

• Rhythm

• Meter

• Enjambment

• Theme

This is a single unit of sound in a word, consisting of a vowel sound with or without surrounding consonants.

• Syllable

• Meter

• Assonance

• Theme

A line of poetry with 5 feet, all of which are iambs (unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable).

• Syllable

• Iambic Pentameter

• Assonance

• Theme

This is the correspondence of sound between different words, or the ending of words.

• Alliteration

• Iambic Pentameter

• Assonance

• Rhyme

This is the repetition of initial consonant sounds in adjacent or nearby words.

• Alliteration

• Iambic Pentameter

• Assonance

• Rhyme