English Poetry Terms Flashcards

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Questions and Answers

What is blank verse?

Rhymed iambic pentameter

A type of fixed form poetry

Unrhymed iambic pentameter (correct)

A humorous five-line poem

Define classicism.

The principles and ideals of beauty characteristic of Greek and Roman art, architecture, and literature.

What is an epic?

A long narrative poem focusing on serious subjects and heroic deeds.

What characteristic defines free verse poetry?

Nonconformity to established patterns of meter, rhyme, and stanza. Signup and view all the answers

What is a limerick?

A humorous five-line poem with a rhyme scheme of aabba. Signup and view all the answers

Describe a sestina.

A type of fixed form poetry consisting of thirty-six lines divided into six sestets and an envoy. Signup and view all the answers

What is a sonnet?

A fixed form of lyric poetry that consists of fourteen lines, usually written in iambic pentameter. Signup and view all the answers

What defines the Italian sonnet?

It is divided into an octave and a sestet, typically following the rhyme scheme abbaabba. Signup and view all the answers

Describe the English sonnet.

It is organized into three quatrains and a couplet, typically following the rhyme scheme abab cdcd efef gg. Signup and view all the answers

What is a villanelle?

A type of fixed form poetry consisting of nineteen lines, with a specific rhyme and repetition pattern. Signup and view all the answers

What is a couplet?

Two consecutive lines of poetry that usually rhyme and have the same meter. Signup and view all the answers

What is a heroic couplet?

A couplet written in rhymed iambic pentameter. Signup and view all the answers

Define a foot in poetry.

The metrical unit by which a line of poetry is measured. Signup and view all the answers

What is an iambic foot?

Consists of one unstressed syllable followed by one stressed syllable. Signup and view all the answers

What defines a trochaic foot?

Consists of one stressed syllable followed by one unstressed syllable. Signup and view all the answers

Describe anapestic foot.

Two unstressed syllables followed by one stressed syllable. Signup and view all the answers

What is a dactylic foot?

One stressed syllable followed by two unstressed syllables. Signup and view all the answers

What is a spondee?

A foot consisting of two stressed syllables. Signup and view all the answers

What is an octave in poetry?

A poetic stanza of eight lines, usually forming one part of a sonnet. Signup and view all the answers

Define a quatrain.

A four-line stanza. Signup and view all the answers

What is a sestet?

A stanza consisting of exactly six lines. Signup and view all the answers

Define stanza in poetry.

A grouping of lines, set off by a space, usually having a set pattern of meter and rhyme. Signup and view all the answers

What is a tercet?

A three-line stanza. Signup and view all the answers

What is an allegory?

A narration or description that conveys a single meaning. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Poetry Terms

Blank Verse: Unrhymed iambic pentameter; closest to natural English speech; prevalent in Shakespeare's works and traditional narrative/dramatic poetry.
Classicism: Embodies the artistic principles and ideals of beauty from Greek and Roman art, architecture, and literature.
Epic: A long narrative poem in formal style, emphasizing serious subjects, heroic deeds, and events significant to a culture or nation.
Free Verse: A poetry form lacking established meter, rhyme, and stanzaic patterns; employs natural speech rhythms and line breaks determined by emphasis and pauses.
Limerick: A humorous five-line poem with a specific meter and an aabba rhyme scheme; lines 1, 2, and 5 consist of three feet, while 3 and 4 have two feet; classified as fixed form poetry.
Sestina: A structured poem of thirty-six lines, organized into six sestets and one tercet; features repetitive end words from the first sestet in varied order across subsequent stanzas, often reflecting pivotal themes.
Sonnet: A lyric poem of fourteen lines in iambic pentameter; includes Italian and English sonnet forms, each with unique structural characteristics.
Italian Sonnet: Known as the Petrarchan sonnet; consists of an octave with an abbaabba rhyme scheme and a sestet featuring varying rhymes; typically presents a problem in the octave resolved in the sestet.
English Sonnet: Also called the Shakespearean sonnet; has three quatrains and a final couplet with an abab cdcd efef gg rhyme scheme; offers thematic flexibility due to its four-part structure.
Villanelle: A fixed form of nineteen lines, composed of five tercets followed by a quatrain; features repeated lines from the initial tercet as refrain lines throughout the poem.
Couplet: Two consecutive rhyming lines in poetry that typically share the same meter.
Heroic Couplet: A special type of couplet written in rhymed iambic pentameter, often used in narrative poetry.
Foot: The basic metrical unit of poetry; consists of one stressed syllable combined with one or two unstressed syllables.
Iambic Foot: A foot comprised of one unstressed syllable followed by one stressed syllable; recognized as the most prevalent metrical foot in English poetry.
Trochaic Foot: A metrical foot consisting of one stressed syllable followed by an unstressed syllable.
Anapestic Foot: A three-syllable foot containing two unstressed syllables followed by a stressed syllable.
Dactylic Foot: A metrical unit with one stressed syllable followed by two unstressed syllables.
Spondee: A foot characterized by two stressed syllables; typically used for variation or emphasis rather than as a sustained metrical foot.
Octave: An eight-line stanza, often constituting a section of a sonnet.
Quatrain: The most common four-line stanza in English poetry, with diverse meters and rhyme schemes.
Sestet: A stanza made up of exactly six lines.
Stanza: A grouped set of lines in poetry, delineated by space, with a defined meter and rhyme pattern.
Tercet: A stanza comprised of three lines.
Allegory: A narrative with a single, often symbolic meaning, where events and actions represent deeper truths or concepts.

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Description

Explore essential poetry terms with these flashcards designed for English literature students. This quiz covers key concepts like blank verse and classicism, helping you deepen your understanding of poetic forms and their historical significance. Perfect for exam preparation or as a study aid.