Poetry Terms

Prose: Writing which uses sentences and paragraphs. The words are clear and descriptive, but not arranged for the sake of how they sound and look on the page.

Poetry: Rythmic, compressed language that uses figures of speech and imagery which appeal to emotions and imagination.

Repetition: The repeating of a word or phrase to add rhythm or to emphasize an idea.

Stanza: A division in a poem. (paragraph:prose; stanza:poetry)

Metaphor: Compares two different things without using a word of comparison such as like or as.

Simile: Compares two different things using either like or as.

Personification: A form of figurative language in which an idea, object or animal is given the characteristics of a person.

Alliteration: The repearting of a beginning  consonant sound as in "sleepy Saturdays."

Onomatopoeia: is the use of a word or phrase whose sound makes you think of its meaning as in "crash" or "squish".