"Discover the language of poetry, from alliteration to zeugma."
Showing 273 poetry terms
| Term | Definition | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Gyre | A circular or spiral motion, but in poetry, particularly in the works of W.B. Yeats, it symbolizes historical cycles or phases. | The poet’s reference to the gyre suggested a world caught in the endless cycle of rise and fall. |
| Haiku | A 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. |
| Hendecasyllabic | A line of verse containing eleven syllables. | "I have seen them riding seaward on the waves." |
| Hendiadys | A figure of speech where two words connected by "and" are used to express a single idea. | "Nice and warm" instead of "nicely warm" is an example of hendiadys. |
| Heroic Couplet | A pair of rhymed lines in iambic pentameter. | "The time of life is short; / To spend that shortness basely were too long." |
| Hexameter | A line of verse consisting of six metrical feet. | "In the hexameter rises the fountain's silvery column." |
| Hyperbole | Exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally. | I've told you a million times. |
| Hypercatalectic | A line of verse that has one or more extra syllables beyond the expected meter. | A hypercatalectic line contains additional syllables at the end. |
| Iamb | A metrical foot consisting of one short syllable followed by one long syllable. | "The way a crow Shook down on me The dust of snow." |
| Idyll | A short poem describing a simple, peaceful, and pastoral scene, often about rural life. | Alfred Lord Tennyson's "Idylls of the King" is a famous example. |
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"