Poetry is a discipline, and like all disciplines evolves over time. As poetry evolves, its terms also evolve. Here, we are going to

deal with a few of the most popular poetry terms.

Poetry

The definition of poetry is as varied as are the practitioners of the art of poetry. The Encarta world English Dictionary defines

poetry as "Literature in verse, in particular verse writing of high quality, great beauty, emotional sincerity or intensity, or profound

insight." According to the Encarta, to qualify as poetry, the piece of writing must have high quality, greatly beauty, emotional

sincerity or intensity or show profound insight.

As readers of poetry therefore, the insight which the poet brings to us in relation to our environment, and the precise language

with which he embodies these insights, become very important.

And who is a poet? A poet is some one who is skilled in and concerned with language and uses this language to bring about the

effects described above. His poems reflect the realities of the world he lives in.

Reading Poetry

Many people find many strange things about poetry that they dislike it without trying hard to understand it. Some people are

scared away by the seeming difficulty in reading poetry. The people in poems seem unreal. The use of language seems old

fashioned, and at times words are omitted or the order inverted. Some readers feel that poetry is a tiresome, awkward and

ambiguous way of saying things. Very often, the poet does not just tell us things. He wants us to use our imaginations. But

for those who persevere, the joy comes in the beauty, quality and insight that the poet brings, using vivid language that makes

us feel things in a very special way. Words provoke our imagination. Having basic knowledge of poetry terms and technique

help us appreciate poetry better.

Kinds of Poetry

Most poetry falls into three general categories.
1. Dramatic poetry or poetry made for stage.
2. Narrative poetry or poetry that merely tells a story.
3. Lyrical poetry or poetry that deals with thoughts, emotions, feeling and reflections that rhymes or set to music.

Allegory
A form of extended metaphor, in which objects, persons, and actions in a narrative, are equated with the meanings that lie outside

the narrative itself. The underlying meaning has moral, social, religious, or political significance, and characters are often

personifications of abstract ideas as charity, greed, or envy. Thus an allegory is a story with two meanings, a literal meaning and

a symbolic meaning.

Allegories are a kind of metaphor. In allegories, the objects, persons, ideas and actions in the story represent other things. Also

the underlying meanings in allegories have religious, social, or political implications or undertone.

Allusion
A brief reference to a person, event, or place, real or fictitious, or to a work of art.

This is an indirect reference to a person, place, event, idea or thing. It could be real or imagined.

Antonyms

They are words that have opposite meanings.

Comic relief

In a tragedy, this is a brief period of laughter.

Conflict
The struggle found in fiction and poetry -- it may be internal or external and is best seen in (1) human in conflict with another

human: (2) human in conflict with/in nature; (3) human in conflict with self. 

Conflict refers to the struggle found in a writing including poetry. It could be internal or external. It could be a conflict between

the protagonist and himself, or between the protagonist and nature or between the protagonist and other people.

Connotation
An implied meaning of a word.  It is related to all the meanings, associations, or emotions suggested by a word.

Denotation
The literal meaning of a word, the dictionary meaning

 Figure of Speech

An illustration, representation or shape associated with language, tongue or communication of thoughts and feelings by spoken words.

Figurative Language

It is not intended to be understood literally. Two of the most important figures of speech are the simile and the metaphor.

Hyperbole
Exaggeration or overstatement -- in meaning, language, or style

This is an exaggeration or an overstatement, used usually for emphasis, comic effect or satirical effect.

Imagery

Imagery consists of the images and mental pictures created by the words in a poem. It is the language used to create sensory

experience in a poem or any piece of writing.

It is language that appeals to one or more of the five senses: sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. It is a product of every

poet’s unique way of perceiving and responding to the world.

Infer

To reach a conclusion

Interpret

To explain the meaning of something. To make something understandable

Irony
An implied discrepancy between what is said and what is meant. Three kinds of irony:
1. verbal irony is when an author says one thing and means something else
2. dramatic irony is when readers perceive something that a character does not know
3. Irony of situation is a discrepancy between the expected result and actual results

Irony is an implied discrepancy between what is said and what is meant; a statement that says one thing but intends another.

There are three kinds of irony:
(i) Verbal irony happen when an author says one thing and means something else.
(ii) Dramatic irony happens when readers perceive something that a character does not know.
(iii) Irony of situation happens when there is a discrepancy between the expected result and actual results.

Metaphor
Comparison of two unlike things using the verb "to be" and not using like or as in a simile

Mood

Mood is the feeling evoked in any work of art. Particular state of mind or feeling; humor, or temper. Predominant spirit or tone.

Motif
A recurrent thematic element in an artistic or literary work; a dominant theme or central idea.

Onomatopoeia

Onomatopoeia is words that mirror or imitate the sounds of objects or actions they reference.

Paradox
A paradox is a statement that contains apparently opposing or incongruous elements which, when read together, turn out to make

sense

A paradox is a statement that sounds unbelievable, absurd, and contradictory but may actually be true. Ex. The child is the father

of the man. Unity in diversity.

Personification
To give human qualities to animals or objects

Personification gives human qualities to animals and/or things.

Personified: incarnated, represented.

Prefix / Suffix

Letters or syllables to fix the beginning of a word / fix the ending of a word

Rhyme

This is the repetition of corresponding or the same sound especially at the end of lines.

Simile
The comparison of two unlike things using like or as

Synonyms

They are words that have the same meanings or nearly the same meaning.

Soliloquy

It is an unusually long speech in which a character who is onstage alone expresses his or her thoughts aloud.

Stanza (Italian, `a stopping place')
A group of verses separated from other such groups in a poem

A group of lines that make up a division in a poem.

Symbolism

Image that stands for the unnamed subject of a passage. It may be any object, character or incident.