Transcript Poetry Analysis Terms - mrskingsclass / FrontPage

Poetry Analysis Terms
J. King
April 2009
Simile
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A comparison using like or as.
Ex: he is as mean as a junkyard dog.
Ex: “…She would be as swift in motion as a
ball…” Romeo and Juliet (2.5.13)
Metaphor
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A figure of speech in which one this is
described in terms of another.
Ex: The river is a winding ribbon moving
down the mountainside.
Ex: “…and Juliet is the sun.” Romeo and
Juliet (2.2.3)
Ex: “…the mask of night is on my face.”
Romeo and Juliet (2.2.85)
Personification
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The attribution of human qualities to
inanimate objects
Ex: The arms of the rainbow stretched across
the sky.
“The gray-eyed morn smiles on the frowning
night…” Romeo and Juliet (2.3.1)
Hyperbole
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A figure of speech which contains an
exaggeration for emphasis
Ex: She almost exploded with excitement
Ex: “There is no world without Verona
walls...” Romeo and Juliet (3.3.17)
Idiom
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A form of expression, construction or phrase
peculiar to a language and often possessing
a meaning other than its grammatical or
logical one
Ex: A Blessing In Disguise:
Something good that isn't recognized at first
Ex: A Chip On Your Shoulder:
Being upset for something that happened in
the past.
Onomatopoeia
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The formation and use of words to imitate
sounds.
Ex: The tinkling sound of the bells rang out.
Ex: The tires screeched when he hit the
brakes.
Ex: “…Who, nothing hurt withal, hissed him in
scorn.” Romeo and Juliet (1.1.113)
Oxymoron
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A figure of speech which combines
incongruous and apparently contradictory
words and meanings for special effect.
Ex: Dodge Ram
Ex: Jumbo Shrimp
Ex: “..O brawling love, O loving hate…”
Romeo and Juliet (1.1.177)
Symbol
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An object, animate or inanimate, which
represents or ‘stands for’ something else.
Ex: Dove=peace
Ex: Lion=strength or power
Ex: Rose=beauty
Allusion
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Usually an implicit reference, perhaps to
another work of literature or art, to a person
or an event,
Ex: “Christy didn’t like to spend money. She
was no Scrooge, but she seldom purchased
anything except the bare necessities.” (A
Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens)
Ex: “Like the prodigal son, he returned to his
home town and was welcomed by all who
knew him.” (The Bible, Luke 15:11-32)
Rhyme
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The repetition of accented vowel sounds and all sounds
following them.
Ex: Choice/Voice
End Rhyme: Occurs when the rhyme is at the end of two lines
of poetry.
Ex: “Old Mother Hubbard
Went to the cupboard.”
Internal Rhyme: occurs when the rhyme is within a single line
of poetry
Ex: “Once upon a midnight dreary, while I wandered weak and
weary.”
Slant Rhyme: means that he two words are alike in some
sound but do not rhyme exactly.
Ex: It little hurts me now to know.
Assonance
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Consists of the repetition of similar vowel
sounds, usually close together, to achieve a
particular effect of euphony
“The Lotos blooms below the barren peak:
The Lotos blows by every winding creek:
All day the wind breaths low with mellower tone
Thro’ every hollow cave and alley lone,
Round and round the spicy downs the yellow Lotosdust is blown.
Lotos-Eaters by Tennyson
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Consonance
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The close repetition of identical consonant
sounds before and after different vowels.
Ex. Slip—Slop
Ex. Creak—Croak
Ex. Black—Block
Alliteration
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A figure of speech in which consonants ,
especially at the beginning of words, or
stressed syllables, are repeated.
Ex. Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled
peppers.
Ex. “…Hunting thee hence with hunt’s up to
the day.” Romeo and Juliet (3.5.34)
Denotation
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The most literal and limited meaning of a
word, regardless of what one may feel about
it or the suggestions and ideas it connotes.
Ex: Apartheid denotes a certain form of
political, social, and racial regime. It connotes
much more.
Connotation
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The suggestion or implication evoked by a
word or phrase
Ex: “There is a cockroach.”
May inspire a shudder or distaste in one
person , but a scientific inquiry, like “What is
it?” in another person.
Pun
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A figure of speech which involves a play upon
words.
Ex: “Ask for me tomorrow and you will find
me a grave man.” spoken by Mercutio,
Romeo and Juliet
The word grave is a pun because it means
both_____ and ______.
Theme
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The central idea of a work.
Ex: Othello=Jealousy
Ex: Romeo and Juliet=Love, Death,
Light/Darkness
Ex: The Odyssey=Hospitality
Tone/Mood
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The reflection of a writer’s attitude (especially
towards his readers), manner, mood and
moral outlook in his work; even perhaps the
way his personality pervades the work.
Imagery
Occurs when language appeals to one or
more of the five senses.
 Ex: “How silver-sweet sound lovers’ tongues
by night.” Romeo and Juliet
This line appeals mostly to the sense of ___.
 Ex: “O that I were a glove upon that hand that
I might touch that cheek.” Romeo and Juliet
This line appeals mostly to the sense of___.
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