"Discover the language of poetry, from alliteration to zeugma."
Found 16 terms starting with "C" — Page 2 of 2
| Term | Definition | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Common Meter | A poetic meter consisting of alternating lines of iambic tetrameter and iambic trimeter, often used in hymns and ballads. | "Amazing Grace" is written in common meter (8-6-8-6 syllables). |
| Conceit | An extended metaphor with a complex logic that governs a poetic passage or entire poem. | John Donne's poem "The Flea" uses a conceit to compare a flea bite to the act of love. |
| Concrete Poetry | Poetry in which the typography, layout, or visual arrangement of text contributes to the meaning. | e.e. cummings often arranged words visually to enhance meaning. |
| Confessional Poetry | A style of poetry that emerged in the 1950s-60s, characterized by intimate, autobiographical subject matter. | Sylvia Plath and Robert Lowell are famous confessional poets. |
| Consonance | The recurrence of similar sounds, especially consonants, in close proximity. | The fair breeze blew, the white foam flew. |
| Couplet | Two lines of verse, usually in the same meter and joined by rhyme, that form a unit. | The time is out of joint, O cursed spite / That ever I was born to set it right! |
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"