Key Poetic Terminology for the Study of English Literature
Antithesis
Combines two phrases or images with opposing meanings. The phrases used
are parallel, and appear to mirror each other. The lines or clauses are directly
beside one another.
Eg. “Be it the scorching heat, / Of the summer / Be it the pouring monsoon / Of
the cold winter”- “Lessons From the Wildflower” by Chitrangada Sharan (lines
16-19)
Apostrophe
Addressing a dead/absent person, or addressing a personified concept (eg.
death) as if it were present.
Eg. “Death, be not proud, though some have called thee / Mighty and
dreadful, for thou art not so”- “Death, Be Not Proud” by John Donne
Ars Poetica
A style of poetry which reflects on the concept of poetry itself (eg. its beauty,
importance, or purpose).
Eg. “...my sentences go nowhere, or double back to the moment /when I still
remembered how it all began”- “Ars Poetica” by Susanna Lang
Assonance
The repetition of vowel sounds without repeating consonants. For this reason,
it is also referred to as “vowel rhyme”.
Eg. “His tender heir might bear his memory”- “Sonnet 1” by William
Shakespeare (repetition of the “eh” sound)
, Bathos
A juxtaposition between the insignificant and the essential. Typically comical, it
is often used to imply that what is deemed significant is not that important at
all. Less strictly, it can be considered any use of language to produce an
underwhelming effect, normally in a way intended to create humour.
Eg. “Not louder Shrieks to pitying Heav’n are cast, / When Husbands or when
Lap-dogs breath their last.”- “The Rape of the Lock” by Alexander Pope
Blank Verse
Non-rhyming iambic pentameter (different from “free verse”). It is considered
the closest to natural English speaking patterns, although the structure may
deviate to accommodate this more fully.
Cacophony
Harsh sounds, usually as a result of repeated consonant sounds, or (more
generally) harsh consonants being close together. This often reflects mood
Eg. “Beware the Jabberwock, my son! / The jaws that bite, the claws that
catch! / Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun / The frumious Bandersnatch!”-
“Jabberwocky” by Lewis Carrol
Cadence
Inflection of influence used to create a musical quality in language.
Carpe Diem
Translating as “seize the day”, this is a fairly common theme in poetry. It often
reflects on the fleeting nature of life and the need to live in the present.
Antithesis
Combines two phrases or images with opposing meanings. The phrases used
are parallel, and appear to mirror each other. The lines or clauses are directly
beside one another.
Eg. “Be it the scorching heat, / Of the summer / Be it the pouring monsoon / Of
the cold winter”- “Lessons From the Wildflower” by Chitrangada Sharan (lines
16-19)
Apostrophe
Addressing a dead/absent person, or addressing a personified concept (eg.
death) as if it were present.
Eg. “Death, be not proud, though some have called thee / Mighty and
dreadful, for thou art not so”- “Death, Be Not Proud” by John Donne
Ars Poetica
A style of poetry which reflects on the concept of poetry itself (eg. its beauty,
importance, or purpose).
Eg. “...my sentences go nowhere, or double back to the moment /when I still
remembered how it all began”- “Ars Poetica” by Susanna Lang
Assonance
The repetition of vowel sounds without repeating consonants. For this reason,
it is also referred to as “vowel rhyme”.
Eg. “His tender heir might bear his memory”- “Sonnet 1” by William
Shakespeare (repetition of the “eh” sound)
, Bathos
A juxtaposition between the insignificant and the essential. Typically comical, it
is often used to imply that what is deemed significant is not that important at
all. Less strictly, it can be considered any use of language to produce an
underwhelming effect, normally in a way intended to create humour.
Eg. “Not louder Shrieks to pitying Heav’n are cast, / When Husbands or when
Lap-dogs breath their last.”- “The Rape of the Lock” by Alexander Pope
Blank Verse
Non-rhyming iambic pentameter (different from “free verse”). It is considered
the closest to natural English speaking patterns, although the structure may
deviate to accommodate this more fully.
Cacophony
Harsh sounds, usually as a result of repeated consonant sounds, or (more
generally) harsh consonants being close together. This often reflects mood
Eg. “Beware the Jabberwock, my son! / The jaws that bite, the claws that
catch! / Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun / The frumious Bandersnatch!”-
“Jabberwocky” by Lewis Carrol
Cadence
Inflection of influence used to create a musical quality in language.
Carpe Diem
Translating as “seize the day”, this is a fairly common theme in poetry. It often
reflects on the fleeting nature of life and the need to live in the present.
