Poetry Terms

extended metaphor

• a metaphor that carries the comparison through several lines or throughout an entire poem

• a brief comparison between two unlike things

• a figure of speech that exaggerates for emphasis

• a comparison that uses 'like' or 'as'

personification

• giving human qualities to a non-human animal, object, or idea

• describing a human action in a non-human context

• using metaphors to compare two unlike things

• creating a character that represents an abstract idea

rhythm

• the beat of a poem

• a type of rhyme scheme

• the length of a stanza

• the theme of a poem

idiom

• a phrase that has a special meaning that is different from its literal meaning

• a type of metaphor used in poetry

• a grammatical structure in a language

• a synonym for a common word

onomatopoeia

• a word that imitates the sound it represents

• a type of figurative language

• a word that describes a feeling

• a word that has multiple meanings

imagery

• description words that create a picture in the reader's mind

• a type of figurative language

• a method of organizing ideas

• a technique for summarizing text

hyperbole

• a literal statement

• an understatement for effect

• an exaggeration for effect

• a rhetorical question

metaphor

• A comparison using 'like' or 'as'

• A direct statement of fact

• A comparison between two unlike things NOT using 'like,' 'as,' or 'than'

• A type of simile

stanza

• a group of lines in a poem

• a type of rhyme scheme

• a literary device used in prose

• a form of narrative structure

line

• a row of words in a poem; marked by numbers

• a type of punctuation used in poetry

• a stanza in a poem

• a rhyme scheme used in verses