"Discover the language of poetry, from alliteration to zeugma."
Found 8 terms starting with "N"
| Term | Definition | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Narrative Poetry | A form of poetry that tells a story, often making use of the voices of a narrator and characters as well. | The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe |
| Neoclassical Poetry | A style of poetry from the 18th century that is characterized by its adherence to classical forms and ideals, such as order, logic, and restraint. | The works of Alexander Pope, such as The Rape of the Lock. |
| New Formalism | A late 20th-century movement returning to traditional poetic forms and meters after the dominance of free verse. | Poets like Dana Gioia championed the New Formalist movement. |
| Nonet | A nine-line poem that starts with nine syllables in the first line and reduces by one syllable with each subsequent line, ending with a one-syllable line. | A Nonet poem structure (no widely known examples as it’s a form rather than a popular genre) |
| Nonsense Verse | A type of light, humorous poetry that plays with absurdity and often uses made-up words or strange concepts. | Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll |
| Nostalgia | A tone or mood that reflects a longing for the past, often idealized or romanticized in poetry. | I Remember, I Remember by Thomas Hood |
| Novelinee | A poetic form composed of nine lines, typically with a specific rhyme scheme such as ABABCDCDE. | Any poem written in the Novelinee form, though it is a lesser-known structure. |
| Nursery Rhyme | A traditional poem or song for young children in Britain and many other countries, often featuring rhyming verses and simple, repetitive language. | Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall. |
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
• Click "S" in the alphabetical menu
• Search "sonnet" to see all types
• Look for related terms like "quatrain" and "couplet"