| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| closed forms | Poetry that follows predictable patterns in the structure of lines, stanzas, meter, and rhyme to develop relationships among ideas. |
| meter | The rhythmic pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in poetry. |
| open forms | Poetry that may not follow expected or predictable patterns in the structure of lines or stanzas but may still have structures that develop relationships between ideas. |
| rhyme | The repetition of identical or similar sounds at the end of words, typically at the end of lines in poetry. |
| stanza | A grouped arrangement of lines in a poem that functions as a unit and contributes to the poem's overall structure and meaning. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| adjective | A descriptive word that modifies a noun and conveys the perspective or attitude of the narrator or speaker toward what is being described. |
| adverb | A descriptive word that modifies a verb, adjective, or other adverb and conveys the perspective or attitude of the narrator or speaker. |
| connotation | The emotional, cultural, or associative meaning of a word beyond its literal definition that can add nuance or complexity to a text. |
| figurative meaning | The non-literal meaning of a word or phrase that conveys ideas through comparison, symbolism, or other rhetorical devices rather than direct definition. |
| hyperbole | A figure of speech that exaggerates something for emphasis or effect, focusing attention on a particular trait. |
| literal meaning | The direct, dictionary definition of a word or phrase without any figurative or symbolic interpretation. |
| understatement | A figure of speech that minimizes or downplays something, focusing attention on a trait by deliberately representing it as less important than it is. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| adjective | A descriptive word that modifies a noun and conveys the perspective or attitude of the narrator or speaker toward what is being described. |
| adverb | A descriptive word that modifies a verb, adjective, or other adverb and conveys the perspective or attitude of the narrator or speaker. |
| comparison | A literary device in which one thing is likened to another to represent something in a text through sensory associations. |
| image | A descriptive representation in a text that can be literal or figurative, appealing to the senses or creating associations with sensory experience. |
| imagery | The use of vivid, descriptive language and sensory details to create mental images and evoke emotional responses in a reader. |
| sensory imagery | Descriptive language that appeals to the five senses, created through the use of adjectives, adverbs, and other descriptive words. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| comparison subject | In a comparison, the thing to which the main subject is being compared; the secondary object or concept used to illuminate the main subject. |
| extended metaphor | A metaphor that is developed and sustained throughout parts of or an entire text through additional details, similes, and images. |
| figurative meaning | The non-literal meaning of a word or phrase that conveys ideas through comparison, symbolism, or other rhetorical devices rather than direct definition. |
| main subject | In a comparison, the thing being compared; the primary object or concept that is the focus of the metaphor or simile. |
| metaphor | A figure of speech that implies similarities between two usually unrelated concepts or objects to reveal or emphasize something about one of them. |
| trait | Distinctive qualities or characteristics of a person, object, or concept. |