AP Notes, Outlines, Study Guides, Vocabulary, Practice Exams and more!

AP English Poetry Terms

Terms : Hide Images
use of the same consonant at the beginning of each stressed syllable in a line of verse
a reference to another work of literature, person, or event
the juxtaposition of contrasting words or ideas to give a feeling of balance
A figure of speech in which the speaker adresses a person that is dead or not present.
the repetition of similar vowels in the stressed syllables of successive words
a loud harsh or strident noise
a break or pause (usually for sense) in the middle of a verse line
the repetition of consonants (or consonant patterns) especially at the ends of words
a stanza consisting of two successive lines of verse
a writer's or speaker's choice of words
a poem which is intended primarily to teach a lesson
a song or poem memorializing something or someone
a term that describes a line of poetry that ends with a natural pause often indicated by a mark of punctuation
the continuation of a syntactic unit from one line of verse into the next line without a pause
a metaphor which extends over several lines or an entire poem
any agreeable (pleasing and harmonious) sounds
writing or speech that is not meant to be taken literally
Poetry that does not have a regular meter or rhyme scheme
extravagant exaggeration
Description that appeals to the senses (sight, sound, smell, touch, taste)
a rhyme between words in the same line
comparison not using like or as
a pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in poetry
symbolism; one thing is used as a substitute for another with which it is closely identified (the White House)
a poem that tells a story
a rhythmic group of eight lines of verse
using words that imitate the sound they denote
conjoining contradictory terms (as in 'deafening silence')
a statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth.
phrases or sentences of a similar construction/meaning placed side by side, balancing each other
when a nonhuman thing is givin a human characteristic
a stanza of four lines
a regularly repeated line or group of lines in a poem or song
the beat of poetry
be similar in sound, especially with respect to the last syllable
form of literature in which irony, sarcasm, and ridicule are employed to attack human vice and folly
a rhythmic group of six lines of verse
comparison using like or as
14 lines of iambic pentameter with a particular rhyming scheme and a volta ("change") around line 9
a fixed number of lines of verse forming a unit of a poem
using a part of something to represent the whole thing
the grammatical arrangement of words in sentences
The attitude of the author toward the audience and characters (e.g., serious or humorous).
a statement that is restrained in ironic contrast to what might have been said
the shift or point of dramatic change in a poem (around line 9 in a sonnet)

Need Help?

We hope your visit has been a productive one. If you're having any problems, or would like to give some feedback, we'd love to hear from you.

For general help, questions, and suggestions, try our dedicated support forums.

If you need to contact the Course-Notes.Org web experience team, please use our contact form.

Need Notes?

While we strive to provide the most comprehensive notes for as many high school textbooks as possible, there are certainly going to be some that we miss. Drop us a note and let us know which textbooks you need. Be sure to include which edition of the textbook you are using! If we see enough demand, we'll do whatever we can to get those notes up on the site for you!