Elements of Poetry Quiz

Study Notes

Meter: A regular pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in a line of poetry. It creates rhythm and musicality.
Example: Iambic pentameter (five iambs per line) is common in Shakespearean sonnets. "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?"
Rhyme: The similarity or likeness of sounds at the end of words. Can be end rhyme, internal rhyme, or slant rhyme (approximate rhyme).
Example: "love" and "dove" are end rhymes. "A rose is a rose is a rose, is a rose" is a perfect end rhyme.
Example: Internal rhyme: "Once upon a midnight dreary while I pondered, weak and weary"
Form: The structure of a poem, including stanzas, rhyme schemes, and line lengths. Free verse poems do not follow a specific form.
Example: Sonnet, Haiku, Ballad
Figurative Language: Words or phrases that create a strong image or effect that goes beyond their literal meaning.
Example: metaphors, similes, personification, etc.
Imagery: Words or phrases that create a vivid sensory experience for the reader.
Example: "The sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in hues of fiery orange and deep purple." (visual imagery).
Theme: The central idea or message of the poem. This could be a statement about life, society, emotions, or many other topics.
Example: A poem with theme of loneliness can use imagery and symbolism relating to isolation and solitude.

Metaphor: A comparison between two unlike things without using "like" or "as".
Example: "My love is a red, red rose." (Love is compared to a rose)
Simile: A comparison between two unlike things using "like" or "as".
Example: "Her laughter was like the sound of wind chimes in a summer breeze."
Personification: Giving human qualities to inanimate objects or abstract ideas.
Example: "The wind whispered secrets through the tall grass."
Hyperbole: Exaggeration used for emphasis.
Example: "I'm so hungry I could eat a horse."
Alliteration: The repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words.
Example: "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers."
Onomatopoeia: Words that imitate sounds.
Example: "Buzz," "Hiss," "Meow."
Symbolism: Words or phrases that represent something beyond their literal meaning.
Example: A dove can symbolize peace.

"Sutures" in a poem: Figurative language used to describe a process or idea that is sewn or assembled together. It can create a feeling of complex connection or repair in a poetic way.
Example: If the poem describes the experience of recovery from an illness, the scars or the mending process could serve as "sutures." This creates a visual and metaphorical meaning, relating the physical joining/healing to a deeper emotional connection/healing.
Simple Poems: Poems that use straightforward language and imagery to convey a clear meaning or emotion. They may use basic figures of speech and are often focused on description or feelings.
Example: A children's poem using basic words and simple metaphors, such as comparing a kitten to a fluffy cloud.
Possible Components of a Simple Poem: Focus on sensory details, concrete examples; short, easily remembered lines; simple rhyme schemes, and uncomplicated but well-chosen verbs.
Example: A simple poem about spring might detail the smells, colors, and sights of a day, or a poem about the quiet feeling of a calm evening.