Poetry Glossary

Explore our comprehensive glossary of poetry terms. Whether you're a student, teacher, or poetry enthusiast, our glossary will help you understand key concepts, definitions, and examples that are essential in the study of poetry.

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Term Definition Example
HaikuA traditional form of Japanese poetry that consists of three lines with a 5-7-5 syllable structure.An old silent pond... / A frog jumps into the pond, / splash! Silence again.
HendecasyllabicA line of verse containing eleven syllables."I have seen them riding seaward on the waves."
Heroic CoupletA pair of rhymed lines in iambic pentameter."The time of life is short; / To spend that shortness basely were too long."
HexameterA line of verse consisting of six metrical feet."In the hexameter rises the fountain's silvery column."
HyperboleExaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally.I've told you a million times.