Useful Poetic Terminology
Accumulation: When a list of words sharing a common meaning is used for emphasis.
Alliteration: Words that begin with the same letter sound. E.g., ‘flowing flakes that flock’. Could be used to
make something memorable, to make it stand out, to give a sound effect [such as bullets], build a mood, or
set a scene. The hard ‘b’ sound could be used to emphasise solidity, and the harsh 'r' sounds in "raging river
rapids" help the reader to imagine the brute force of the water.
Allusion: Reference to another text or idea. E.g., ‘the valley of Death’.
Ambiguity: When something is deliberately left unclear. E.g., the final lines of Bayonet Charge. Can be used
to show a lack of understanding or an inability to explain something.
Anaphora: Repetition of a phrase at the start of a line or sentence. E.g., “Cannon to”, “Dem tell me”.
Assonance: Words that share the same vowel sound. E.g., ‘wearied we keep awake because’. This helps draw
attention to the text, which helps to emphasise the idea being communicated.
Bathos: An anti-climax created by a sudden change from a serious or important subject to a ridiculous or
very ordinary one.
Blank Verse: Unrhymed verses with an iambic pentameter. Could seem like a conversation.
Caesura: A break with a full stop or comma in the middle of a poetry line. E.g. ‘Nothing beside remains.
Round the decay’. Could indicate the end of something, to slow the pace down, break a mood, provide
contrast, or give the reader a break.
Characterisation: Revealing a character’s true traits throughout a literary work.
Colloquialism: The use of non-standard English. Could be used to make a character seem ordinary and
relatable.
Connotations: What a word or phrase is suggesting. E.g., ‘black’ usually connotes darkness, evil or death.
Contrast: Comparing one thing to another to describe or emphasise it.
Couplet: A two-line stanza.
Cumulative Effect: The overall effect of the writer’s diction.
Dactylic Meter: One stressed syllable followed by two unstressed ones. Could be used to emphasise
powerful movements.
Dichotomy: Sharp contrast/division between two contradicting ideas.
Dramatic Monologue: A lengthy speech performed in a play or poem by one character to another, showing
their feelings.
End stopped line: The opposite of enjambment, where a line stops. E.g. ‘We are bombarded by the empty
air.’
Enjambment: When a line has no punctuation at the end and breaks onto a new line, carrying on the same
idea. E.g. ‘One of my mates goes by / and tosses his guts back into his body.’ It could show anger building
up, pride, sudden change, or freedom.
Euphemism: The substitution of an inoffensive expression for one that may offend.
Free Verse: Poetry written with lines of irregular verse and often without rhyme.
Foreshadowing: A hint of what is to come in the future.
Half Rhymes: Two words that have only their final consonant sounds and no preceding vowel or consonant
sounds in common. E.g., ‘stopped’ and ‘wept’. Could be used to show discomfort.
Accumulation: When a list of words sharing a common meaning is used for emphasis.
Alliteration: Words that begin with the same letter sound. E.g., ‘flowing flakes that flock’. Could be used to
make something memorable, to make it stand out, to give a sound effect [such as bullets], build a mood, or
set a scene. The hard ‘b’ sound could be used to emphasise solidity, and the harsh 'r' sounds in "raging river
rapids" help the reader to imagine the brute force of the water.
Allusion: Reference to another text or idea. E.g., ‘the valley of Death’.
Ambiguity: When something is deliberately left unclear. E.g., the final lines of Bayonet Charge. Can be used
to show a lack of understanding or an inability to explain something.
Anaphora: Repetition of a phrase at the start of a line or sentence. E.g., “Cannon to”, “Dem tell me”.
Assonance: Words that share the same vowel sound. E.g., ‘wearied we keep awake because’. This helps draw
attention to the text, which helps to emphasise the idea being communicated.
Bathos: An anti-climax created by a sudden change from a serious or important subject to a ridiculous or
very ordinary one.
Blank Verse: Unrhymed verses with an iambic pentameter. Could seem like a conversation.
Caesura: A break with a full stop or comma in the middle of a poetry line. E.g. ‘Nothing beside remains.
Round the decay’. Could indicate the end of something, to slow the pace down, break a mood, provide
contrast, or give the reader a break.
Characterisation: Revealing a character’s true traits throughout a literary work.
Colloquialism: The use of non-standard English. Could be used to make a character seem ordinary and
relatable.
Connotations: What a word or phrase is suggesting. E.g., ‘black’ usually connotes darkness, evil or death.
Contrast: Comparing one thing to another to describe or emphasise it.
Couplet: A two-line stanza.
Cumulative Effect: The overall effect of the writer’s diction.
Dactylic Meter: One stressed syllable followed by two unstressed ones. Could be used to emphasise
powerful movements.
Dichotomy: Sharp contrast/division between two contradicting ideas.
Dramatic Monologue: A lengthy speech performed in a play or poem by one character to another, showing
their feelings.
End stopped line: The opposite of enjambment, where a line stops. E.g. ‘We are bombarded by the empty
air.’
Enjambment: When a line has no punctuation at the end and breaks onto a new line, carrying on the same
idea. E.g. ‘One of my mates goes by / and tosses his guts back into his body.’ It could show anger building
up, pride, sudden change, or freedom.
Euphemism: The substitution of an inoffensive expression for one that may offend.
Free Verse: Poetry written with lines of irregular verse and often without rhyme.
Foreshadowing: A hint of what is to come in the future.
Half Rhymes: Two words that have only their final consonant sounds and no preceding vowel or consonant
sounds in common. E.g., ‘stopped’ and ‘wept’. Could be used to show discomfort.
