Poetry Glossary - Understand Poetry Terms

Term	Definition	Example
Ubi Sunt	A motif in poetry that reflects on the transience of life, often asking "Where are those who were before us?"	Beowulf and medieval Latin poetry often use this theme.
Ubi Sunt Poetry	A type of medieval poetry that laments the passing of life’s glories, typically asking "Where are they?"	The Old English poem "The Wanderer" is an example of Ubi Sunt poetry.
Understatement	A figure of speech in which a writer or speaker deliberately makes a situation seem less important or serious than it is.	"I have to have this operation. It isn't very serious. I have this tiny little tumor on the brain." - J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye
Univocalic	A poem that uses only one vowel throughout its entirety.	An example would be a poem using only the vowel "e": "Her verses were perfect... never emergent secrets."
Unstressed Syllable	A syllable that is not emphasized or accented when spoken in a line of poetry.	In the word "apple", the first syllable is stressed and the second is unstressed.
Urban Poetry	A genre of poetry that reflects on the experiences of living in a city, often highlighting its vibrancy and challenges.	The poetry of Langston Hughes often reflects on the urban experience in Harlem.
Verse	A single line of poetry or a specific section of a poem.	The poem opens with a beautiful verse.
Villanelle	A nineteen-line poetic form consisting of five tercets followed by a quatrain.	Do not go gentle into that good night by Dylan Thomas is a famous villanelle.
Waka	A type of classical Japanese poetry that consists of five lines with a 5-7-5-7-7 syllable pattern.	The Manyoshu, an ancient anthology, contains many examples of waka poetry.
Waka	A Japanese genre of poetry composed in the traditional 5-7-5-7-7 syllable pattern, often reflective and nature-focused.	The Manyoshu anthology is full of waka poetry, showcasing its deep roots in Japanese culture.

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.