Poetry Terms

General Vocabulary

Prose:

Writing organized into sentences and paragraphs

that is not poetry.

e.g. Novels and short stories are examples of

prose.

Genre:

A term used to describe a particular category or type of literature. Some literary

genres are mysteries, westerns, and romances.

Voice:

The authorial presence in a piece of literature whether in the first,

second, or third person.

Stanza:

A major subdivision in a poem. A stanza of two

lines is called a couplet; a stanza of three lines is

called a tercet; a stanza of four lines is called a

quatrain.

Quatrain:

A four-line stanza.

Refrain

• A line that is repeated in a poem

Meter:

The pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in the lines of a poem.

Couplets:

A pair of rhyming lines in a poem often set off from the rest of the poem.

Shakespeare’s sonnets all end in couplets.

Sestet

6 line stanza

Tercet

3 line stanza

Rhyme Scheme

• The structure, pattern, and form of rhyming in a poem– For example:

• I love the trees A• They sway in the breeze A• I like bushes too B• And I love you B

Iambic pentameter:

Ten-syllable lines in which every other syllable is

stressed. - ’

e.g. “With eyes like stars upon the brave night air.”

Poetic FormsPoetic Forms

VillanelleVillanelle

Nineteen LineNineteen LineFive stanzas, each of three lines, with final Five stanzas, each of three lines, with final stanza being four linesstanza being four linesFirst line of stanza is repeated in last line of First line of stanza is repeated in last line of second and fourth stanzassecond and fourth stanzasThird line of first stanza is repeated as last line Third line of first stanza is repeated as last line of third and fifth stanzasof third and fifth stanzasThese two refrains lines follow each other to These two refrains lines follow each other to become the second-to-last lines of the poembecome the second-to-last lines of the poemThe rhyme scheme is The rhyme scheme is abaaba. The rhymes are . The rhymes are repeated according to the refrainsrepeated according to the refrains

SestinaSestina39 lines39 lines

First stanza is a sestet (6 lines)First stanza is a sestet (6 lines)

Lines of any lengthLines of any length

The six words that end each of the lines of The six words that end each of the lines of the first stanza are repeated in a different the first stanza are repeated in a different order at the end of lines in each of the order at the end of lines in each of the subsequent five stanzas. subsequent five stanzas.

The repeated words are unrhymedThe repeated words are unrhymed

Sestina Repetition PatternSestina Repetition Pattern1 2 3 4 5 6 - End words of lines in first sestet. 1 2 3 4 5 6 - End words of lines in first sestet.

6 1 5 2 4 3 - End words of lines in second sestet.6 1 5 2 4 3 - End words of lines in second sestet.

3 6 4 1 2 5 - End words of lines in third sestet. 3 6 4 1 2 5 - End words of lines in third sestet.

5 3 2 6 1 4 - End words of lines in fourth sestet.5 3 2 6 1 4 - End words of lines in fourth sestet.

4 5 1 3 6 2 - End words of lines in fifth sestet4 5 1 3 6 2 - End words of lines in fifth sestet

2 4 6 5 3 1 - End words of lines in sixth 2 4 6 5 3 1 - End words of lines in sixth sestet. sestet.

Sestina Continued…Sestina Continued…

The first line of each sestet after the first The first line of each sestet after the first ends with the same word as the one that ends with the same word as the one that ended the last line of the sestet before it. ended the last line of the sestet before it.

In the closing tercet, (3 lines) each of the In the closing tercet, (3 lines) each of the six words are used, with one in the middle six words are used, with one in the middle of each line and one at the end. of each line and one at the end.

Blank verse:Blank verse:

Unrhymed lines of poetry Unrhymed lines of poetry usually in iambic usually in iambic

pentameter. Plenty of pentameter. Plenty of modern poetry is written modern poetry is written

in blank verse. in blank verse.

Sonnet:Sonnet:

A fourteen-line poem written A fourteen-line poem written in iambic pentameter. in iambic pentameter.

Different kinds of sonnets have Different kinds of sonnets have different rhyme schemes. The different rhyme schemes. The

most notable are most notable are Shakespeare’s Sonnets which Shakespeare’s Sonnets which employ the abab,cdcd,efef,gg employ the abab,cdcd,efef,gg

rhyme scheme.rhyme scheme.

NarrativeNarrative

Poem that tells a storyPoem that tells a story

For example: For example:

Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Raven.”Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Raven.”

BalladBallad

Poems inspired by melodyPoems inspired by melody

ABAB pattern or rhymeABAB pattern or rhyme

Syllabic rhythmSyllabic rhythmIn Scarlet Town, where I was born,In Scarlet Town, where I was born,There was a fair maid dwellin'There was a fair maid dwellin'Made every lad cry wellaway,Made every lad cry wellaway,And her name was Barbara Ellen.And her name was Barbara Ellen.

Elegy:Elegy:

A poem mourning the A poem mourning the dead. dead.

Lyric:Lyric:

A type of poetry that A type of poetry that expresses the poet’s expresses the poet’s

emotions. It often tells emotions. It often tells some sort of brief story, some sort of brief story,

engaging the reader in the engaging the reader in the experience. experience.

Free Verse:Free Verse:

Poetry with no set Poetry with no set meter (rhythm) or meter (rhythm) or

rhyme scheme. rhyme scheme.

PastoralPastoral

Poems inspired by naturePoems inspired by nature Specifically, pasturesSpecifically, pastures

Poetry Lit DevicesPoetry Lit Devices

Alliteration:Alliteration:

The repetition of The repetition of consonant sounds in litconsonant sounds in lit “Peter Piper Picked a Peck of “Peter Piper Picked a Peck of

Pickled Peppers.”Pickled Peppers.”

Assonance:Assonance:

The repetition of vowel The repetition of vowel sounds as in sounds as in

“And so, all the n“And so, all the niight-tght-tiide, de, II l liie e down by the sdown by the siidede

Of my darling, my darling, my lOf my darling, my darling, my liife fe and my brand my briide. de.

--Edgar Allan Poe, --Edgar Allan Poe, Annabel LeeAnnabel Lee

DictionDiction

1)Word choice.1)Word choice.

2) The author’s choice of words. 2) The author’s choice of words.

DDenotationenotation

The dictionary definition of The dictionary definition of the word.the word.

e.g. The word “indolence” e.g. The word “indolence” denotes “laziness.” denotes “laziness.”

ConnotationConnotationImplied meaning of a wordImplied meaning of a word

e.g. The word “cool” connotes e.g. The word “cool” connotes

““an awesome or exciting thing.” an awesome or exciting thing.”

End rhyme:End rhyme:

Rhyming words that are at Rhyming words that are at the ends of their the ends of their

respective lines—what we respective lines—what we typically think of as normal typically think of as normal

rhyme. rhyme.

Internal rhyme:Internal rhyme:

A rhyme that occurs within A rhyme that occurs within one line such as “He’s one line such as “He’s King of the Swing.” King of the Swing.”

Slant Rhyme

A case where the rhyme is not a direct rhyme, but is close enough to be recognized as rhyme- trust/cusp- Lisp/list

Onomatopoeia:Onomatopoeia:

The use of words that The use of words that sound like what they mean sound like what they mean such as “buzz,” “bang,” or such as “buzz,” “bang,” or

“tic-tock.” “tic-tock.”

Pun:Pun:

The use of a word in a way The use of a word in a way that plays on two or more that plays on two or more

different meanings. different meanings.

I wondered why the baseball was getting I wondered why the baseball was getting

bigger. Then it hit me.bigger. Then it hit me.

TPCASTT…

What is it?

Why do we use it?

WHAT IS TPCASTT???

A no nonsense way of analyzing poetry. It takes you RIGHT THROUGH the

process on how to BEST understand how to analyze a poem.

Steps in TPCASTT

Title - The meaning of the title without reference to the poem

Paraphrase - Put the poem, line by line, in your own words. DO NOT READ INTO THE POEM. Only read on surface level.

Connotation - looking for deeper meaning (literary devices)

TPCASTT steps continued…

Attitude - Looking for the author’s tone. How is the writer speaking?

Shifts - Looking for shifts in tone, action, and rhythm. Don’t just write the number. Discuss how the shift(s) affects the poem.

Title - reevaluate the title as it pertains to the poem

Theme - What does the poem mean? What is it saying? How does it relate to life?