"Discover the language of poetry, from alliteration to zeugma."
Showing 273 poetry terms
| Term | Definition | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Acatalectic | A line of verse that is metrically complete, with all expected syllables present. | Most regular iambic pentameter lines are acatalectic. |
| Alexandrine | A line of verse with twelve syllables, typically with a caesura after the sixth syllable, commonly used in French poetry. | French classical tragedy was written primarily in alexandrines. |
| Allegory | A narrative that serves as an extended metaphor. It tells a story that has characters, a setting, as well as other types of symbols that have both literal and figurative meanings. | George Orwell's "Animal Farm" is an allegory of Soviet totalitarianism. |
| Alliteration | The occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words. | Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. |
| Allusion | An indirect reference to a person, place, thing, or idea of historical, cultural, literary, or political significance. | "He was a real Romeo with the ladies." |
| Amphibrach | A metrical foot consisting of an unstressed syllable, followed by a stressed syllable, followed by another unstressed syllable (da-DUM-da). | "Remember" is an example of an amphibrach. |
| Anacrusis | One or more unstressed syllables at the beginning of a line of verse that are not counted in the meter. | The word "And" at the start of "And miles to go before I sleep" is anacrusis. |
| Anadiplosis | A rhetorical device where the last word of one clause becomes the first word of the next. | "Fear leads to suffering. Suffering leads to the dark side." |
| Anapest | A metrical foot consisting of two unstressed syllables followed by one stressed syllable (da-da-DUM). | "Twas the night before Christmas" demonstrates anapestic meter. |
| Anaphora | The repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses. | "We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets..." |
Our comprehensive Poetry Glossary, designed for students, teachers, and poetry enthusiasts alike. Whether you're delving into poetic forms, exploring rhyme schemes, or understanding the nuances of metrical feet, our glossary is an essential resource to enhance your study of poetry.
Our glossary covers a wide range of poetry terms, from alliteration, the repetition of initial consonant sounds, to the structure of free verse, which flows without a fixed metrical pattern. Learn about how stressed and unstressed syllables form the foundation of metrical feet, or explore how a rhyme scheme organizes the pattern of sounds at the end of lines in a poem.
Use the search function to quickly find terms like group of lines in a stanza or the repetition of sounds in a poem or section. Whether you're looking to understand how a series of words creates rhythmic patterns or how the number of syllables affects the flow of a line of poetry, our glossary has the definitions and examples you need.
Finding terms is easy:
Tip: Try searching for "rhyme," "meter," or "sonnet" to get started!
Every entry includes three key parts:
Iambic Pentameter: A rhythm pattern of 10 syllables per line, alternating unstressed-stressed.
Example: "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?" (Shakespeare)
Note: Most common meter in English sonnets.
Our examples help you see poetry terms in action:
Our glossary covers all major areas of poetry:
Rhyme schemes, meter, alliteration, assonance
Metaphor, simile, personification, symbolism
Sonnets, haikus, villanelles, free verse
Stanzas, lines, caesura, enjambment
Sonnets are one of poetry's most beloved forms. Here's how to explore them:
Structure: 3 quatrains + 1 couplet
Rhyme: ABAB CDCD EFEF GG
Famous: "Shall I compare thee..."
Structure: 1 octave + 1 sestet
Rhyme: ABBAABBA CDECDE
Origin: Italian tradition
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• Look for related terms like "quatrain" and "couplet"