Rhythm, of course, is a kind of sound device based upon pattern. Literary terms page 1 a p literary terms allegory story or poem in which characters, settings, and events stand for other people or events or for abstract ideas or qualities. The repetition of the same or similar sounds at the beginning of. Poetic device s definitions with examples and rhyme page 2 euphemism.
Literary terms the routledge dictionary of literary termsis a twentyfirst century update of roger fowlers seminal dictionary of modern critical terms. A p literary terms houston independent school district. Like art, sport, business, music, and every other complex human activity, poetry has developed its own specialist vocabulary. Glossary of literary terms, page 2 of 4 figurative language figyeruhtiv langgwidj. This poetry dictionary for kids lists the most common poetic terms that kids might encounter, along with their definitions. If you need a more extensive poetry dictionary, i recommend the poetry foundations glossary of poetic terms. A feeling of excitement, curiosity, or expectation about what will happen. The routledge dictionary of literary termsis a twentyfirst century update of roger. You might also like to try the online quiz on prosody to test your knowledge of scanning poetry. Juxtaposition poetic and rhetorical device in which normally unassociated ideas, words, or phrases are placed next to one another, creating an effect of surprise and wit.
A glossary of literary terms, seventh edition english literature. An allegory generally teaches a lesson by means of an interesting story. Click on any of the 6 terms below to get a complete definition with lots of examples. The princeton handbook of poetic termsdrawn from the latest edition of the acclaimed princeton encyclopedia of poetry and poeticsprovides an authoritative guide to the most important terms in the study of poetry and literature. Eliots influential long poem is dense with allusions. Elegy a poem of mourning, usually about someone who has died. Browse this list of poetic terms, including literary devices, poetic forms and techniques, and schools and movements. It means that a poet is allowed to break rules in order to improve his poem in some way. Start by browsing by letter, or click on the glossary item below. William blake pits loves competing impulsesselflessness and selfinterestagainst each other in his poem the clod and the pebble.
Oxymoron a phrase consisting of contradictory terms. The following list is a selection of the major genres of poetry. Sometimes the lines are combined into groups called stanzas. Poetry some terms and techniques samples from longfellow alliteration the repetition of consonant sounds, most often at the beginning of words used to create pleasing, memorable sounds. Contrasting or combining two terms, phrases, or clauses with opposite meanings. Dec 30, 2009 a resource with a worksheet that has both a glossary of poetic terms and a card matching exercise where student match poetic techniques and devises with their definitions. For example, he may break a spelling rule to make his rhyme or his meter more perfect, such as using oft instead of often.
Yeatss sailing to byzantium nor is there singing school but studying monuments of its own magnificence. Poem where the first letter of each line spells out a significant word. To get you started, here are 20 essential poetry terms to know, from alliteration to trochee. Featuring 226 fully revised and updated entries, including 100 that are new to this edition, the book offers clear and insightful definitions and. An imaginative comparison between two unlike things in which one thing is said to. From alliteration to epigraph, to tetrameter, learn important poetic devices. Reading and literature a glossary of literary terms 2 style. Robert frost man, if you gotta ask, youll never know. The prominence or emphasis given to a syllable or word. Consonance the repetition of the same or similar final consonant sounds on. Louis armstrong a poet is limited in the materials he can use in creating his works.
Didactic form of fiction or nonfiction that teaches a specific lesson or moral or provides a model of correct behavior or thinking. The concise oxford dictionary of literary terms chris baldick is professor of english at goldsmiths college, university of london. Alliteration the repetition of identical consonant sounds, usually at the beginning of words with the words near to each other. A resource with a worksheet that has both a glossary of poetic terms and a card matching exercise where student match poetic techniques and devises with their definitions. Try one of the apps below to open or edit this item. Chris baldick is professor of english at goldsmiths. But thats not to say that there arent a few other ones that are equally awesome. Repeated consonant sounds at the beginning of words placed near each other, usually on the same or adjacent lines. The way a poem looks or its arrangement on the page poetry is written in lines, which may or may not be sentences.
B how the poem appears on the page, how it is constructed and organised. Now available in a new, fully updated and expanded edition, it offers readers increased coverage of new terms from modern critical and. William blake pits loves competing impulsesselflessness and selfinterestagainst each. The euphemism is vague and less direct especially when used in reference to death, irreligious references to god, and discreet ref erences to body parts and functions. Literary terms have the power to create serious, comedic, or whimsical moods via tools of persuasion, poeticism, and wordplay. The title of seamus heaneys autobiographical poem singing school alludes to a line from w. The princeton handbook of poetic terms book description. Look here for answers to your questions on the language we use to talk about poetry.
Brief definitions go to drama terms or fiction terms try the online quiz on poetry terms to test your knowledge of these terms. The key is not to take a big bite out of a poetic dictionary but rather start with a small foundation. William dunbar, robert henryson, stephen hawes and john lydgate. The distinctive way that a writer uses language including such factors as word choice, sentence length, arrangement, and complexity, and the use of figurative language and imagery.
Oxford paperback reference the concise oxford dictionary of literary terms chris baldick is professor of english at goldsmiths college, university of. This list is handy reference when performing poetry analysis or writing assignments. Poetry that expresses the feelings or thoughts of a speaker rather than telling a story. Confessional poetry a twentieth century term used to describe poetry that uses intimate. Poetic devices worksheets and activites ereading worksheets.
Related to acrostic, a poem in which the first letter of each line or stanza follows sequentially through the alphabet. The bestselling oxford dictionary of literary terms formerly the concise dictionary provides clear, concise, and often witty definitions of the most troublesome literary terms from abjection to zeugma. Poetic figurative language can summon emotions and visions of nature and the world in unique and compelling ways. Alastair fowler uses the following elements to define genres. Poets deliberately choose the arrangements of words and lines. Lord of the flies alliteration repetition of the same or similar consonant sounds in words that are close together. Pdf dictionary of literary terms rozina qureshi academia. The present article means only to describe in as general a way as possible certain properties of poetry and of poetic thought regarded as in some sense independent modes of the mind. Literary terms and definitions i carsonnewman college. Based on a dictionary of modern critical terms, edited by.
The list is intended as a quickreference guide and is by no means exhaustive. Oxford dictionary of literary terms oxford reference. A brief, intentional reference to a historical, mythic, or literary person, place, event, or movement. Allusion a reference to a character, place or situation from another literary work used to make.
Literary terms page 4 diction a speaker or writers choice of words. He edited the oxford book of gothic tales 1992, and is the author of in frankensteins shadow 1987, criticism and literary theory 1890 to the present 1996, and other works of literary history. A set of terms designed to help students comprehend the elements of the poetic form. Poetic definition is of, relating to, or characteristic of poets or poetry. The rest will come naturally as you continue to embrace this form of art. The present article means only to describe in as general a way as possible certain properties of poetry and of poetic thought regarded as in some sense independent. In the word poetry, the accent or stress falls on the first syllable. Formerly the longman dictionary of poetic terms, this newly updated version contains over 1,600 entries on the devices, techniques, history, theory, and terminology of poetry from the classical period to the present. This glossary provides definitions for terms you will almost certainly encounter in your english class.
Poetry is a vast subject, as old as history and older, present wherever religion is present, possiblyunder some definitionsthe primal and primary form of languages themselves. A eulogy is great praise or commendation, a laudatory speech, often about someone who has died. Allusion a reference to an unmentioned quote, person, or event that the author assumes the reader will recognize. Bringing together original entries written by such celebrated theorists as terry eagleton and malcolm bradbury with new definitions of current terms and controversies, this is the essential. To bring it uptodate, the authors have added fifty new entries and examples. Glossary of poetic terms academy of american poets. Assonance the repetition of similar vowel sounds followed by different consonant sounds, especially in words close together. The routledge dictionary of literary terms edited by. Whereas a form defines the way a poem arranges sounds, rhythms, or its appearance on the page, genre is something like the poems style. A poet chooses words for their sound, as well as for their meaning. Feb 01, 2012 a full worksheet for pupil reference that explains each poetic term and what it does. A full worksheet for pupil reference that explains each poetic term and what it does.
Many poetic genres have a long history, and new poems almost always seek to explore a new aspect of the traditional style and thus to redefine the genre in some way. Poetic device s definitions with examples and rhyme. Many of these brief definitions link to a longer page including a more detailed definition, example poems, related essays, and other resources. A poetic form just refers to a type of poem that follows a particular set of rules, whether it be the number of lines, the length or number of stanzas, rhyme scheme, subject matter, or really whatever rule you can think of the most famous poetic form of all has to be the sonnet. Literary devices and terms are the techniques and elementsfrom figures of speech to narrative devices to poetic metersthat writers use to create narrative literature, poetry, speeches, or any other form of writing. Elaborate, latinate poetic diction employed by certain 15th century english and scottish poets, including. Literary devices and terms definitions and examples. Juxtaposition is also a form of contrast by which writers call attention to. Illustrated glossary of poetic terminology eseniors. Poetic diction 178 poetic licence 178 poetics 179 poetry 181 point of view 182. This is a list of terms for describing texts, with an emphasis on terms that apply specifically to poetry, that appear most frequently in literary criticism, or for which dictionary definitions tend to be unenlightening. Included below is a list of literary terms that can help you interpret, critique, and respond to a. Here, the preposition in, which would normally be unstressed, is artificially stressed by the poet, as is the ed in steeped. Euphony literally good sound and cacophony literally bad sound contribute to producing melody, or a musical quality in verse.
The dictionary of poetic terms is compact enough for classroom use, but thorough enough to be the. The name probably comes from a medieval romance about alexander the great that was written in 12syllable lines. Many of these definitions are reprinted from edward hirschs a poets glossary. Featuring 226 fully revised and updated entries, including 100 that are new to this edition, the book offers clear and insightful definitions and discussions of critical concepts, genres, forms, movements, and poetic elements, followed by invaluable, uptodate bibliographies that guide. Cuddons dictionary of literary terms page 439 offers the following example from hopkins poem spelt from sibyls leaves. The euphemism is vague and less direct especially when used in reference to death, irreligious references to god. Sound devices, figures of speech, elements of literature, and rhythm sound devices alliteration the repetition of constant sounds in words that are close together. These poems are usually short and imply, as opposed to stating, a strong emotion or idea. Poetry some terms and techniques samples from longfellow. Term originating from the portugese word balada meaning.
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