Glossary Of Poetic Terms
Imagery - descriptive language
Visual imagery - something described through sight
Auditory imagery - something described through sound
Olfactory imagery - something described through smell
Gustatory imagery - something described through taste
Tactile imagery - something described through touch
Organic imagery - something described through an internal feeling
Kinesthetic imagery - something described through movement
Figurative language - language using figures of speech; cannot be taken
literally
Metaphor -describing something as something else
Simile -describing something using like or as
Personification- giving human qualities to a non-human thing
Hyperbole -exaggeration
Antithesis - using opposite phrases close together
Symbol - an object that represents an idea or emotion
Allusion - a reference in a literary work to another piece of literature
-Common Allusions: Biblical, historical, and literary
Connotation - symbolic “baggage” attached to a word, significant, rich in imagery…the deeper
meaning
Denotation - the actual definition…think dictionary
Melodic Devices - give rhythmic, metered patterns to poetry. Incorporating melodic devices gives
poetry a desired tone, making word selection vital.
Assonance - repeating vowel sounds in words
Alliteration -repeating first letters of words/sentences
Consonance -repeating consonant sounds of words
Onomatopoeia -sound words
-Example: BZZ! CRASH! BOOM!
Cacophony -Harsh, guttural “d” “t” “k”‘s
Euphony -harsh, pleasing “m” “l” “s”‘s
Rhyme - similarity or likeness of sound existing between two words
End Rhyme - occurring at the end of two or more lines of verse
Internal Rhyme - occurs between two or more words in the same line of verse
Masculine Rhyme - one syllable rhymes with one syllable of another world
-ex: light, bright
Feminine Rhyme - occurs when the last two syllables of a word rhyme with another
-ex: lighting, fighting
Tripe Rhyme-last three syllables rhyme
-ex: victorious, glorious
Rhyme Scheme-pattern or sequence in which rhyme occurs (a, b, a, b)