alliteration
use of the same consonant at the beginning of each word
assonance
the repetition of similar vowels in successive words
consonance
the property of sounding harmonious
enjambment
continuation from one line of verse into the next line
imagery
the ability to form mental pictures of things or events
metaphor
a figure of speech that suggests a non-literal similarity
rhyme
correspondence in the final sounds of two or more lines
mood
a characteristic state of feeling
tone
the distinctive property of a complex sound
couplet
a stanza consisting of two successive lines of verse
foreshadowing
the act of providing vague advance indications
free verse
poetry that does not rhyme or have a regular meter
irony
incongruity between what might be expected and what occurs
literal
limited to the explicit meaning of a word or text
metonymy
substituting the name of a feature for the name of the thing
apostrophe
a mark used to indicate the omission of one or more letters
narrator
someone who tells a story
speaker
someone who expresses in language
onomatopoeia
using words that imitate the sound they denote
plot
a small area of ground covered by specific vegetation
point of view
a mental position from which things are perceived
protagonist
the principal character in a work of fiction
antagonist
someone who offers opposition
stanza
a fixed number of lines of verse forming a unit of a poem
rhythm
an interval during which a recurring sequence occurs
satire
witty language used to convey insults or scorn
setting
the physical position of something
simile
a figure of speech expressing a resemblance between things
synecdoche
using part of something to refer to the whole thing
symbol
something visible that represents something invisible
theme
the subject matter of a conversation or discussion
allusion
passing reference or indirect mention
personification
attributing human characteristics to abstract ideas
repetition
the act of doing or performing again
oxymoron
conjoined contradictory terms
syllable
a unit of spoken language larger than a phoneme
connotation
an idea that is implied or suggested
denotation
the most direct or specific meaning of a word or expression
paradox
a statement that contradicts itself