Interpreting Literature
Bathos -->A poetic device in which the poet intentionally used unexpected,
anticlimactic language to bring humor, expose, or create a point.
Enjambment -->When a writer intentionally runs a line of poetry together and breaks
a thought, phrase or sentence a the end of the line and carries it into the next line.
Open Form -->Poems whose form is not easily recognizable and may not fall into one
specific traditional poetic form.
Petrarchan Sonnet -->A sonnet that contains an octave (eight lines) followed by a
g g g g g g g g g g g g g
sestet (six lines).
g g
Hyperbole -->An overstated, purposeful exaggeration that is not meant to be taken
g g g g g g g g g g g g
literally but is used to emphasize strong feelings or make an important point.
g g g g g g g g g g g g
Oxymoron -->A figure of speech that joins two contradictory or dissimilar terms.
g g g g g g g g g g g
Closed Form -->Poetry that is easily recognizable or identifiable based on the poem's
g g g g g g g g g g g g
g major structural elements such as its meter or rhyme scheme.
g g g g g g g g g
Ballads -->Poems in song form that often contain straightforward themes and tell
g g g g g g g g g g g g
stories.
Apostrophe -->A poetic device in which the speaker directly addresses a person or
g g g g g g g g g g g g g
thing that is not there.
g g g g
Synecdoche -->A figure of speech in which part of something is used to represent or
g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g
refer to the entire thing, or vice versa.
g g g g g g g
, Conceit -->An extended metaphor or another form of comparison between two very
g g g g g g g g g g g
g unlikely objects. g
Onomatopoeia -->A literary device in which a word imitates the sound that itg g g g g g g g g g g g g
describes such as "pop", "boom" or "buzz".
g g g g g g
Paradox -->A statement or situation that seems lead to a contradiction but
g g g g g g g g g g g g
nonetheless remains true. g g
Consonance -->A literary device in which the writer repeats two or more consonant
g g g g g g g g g g g g g
sounds without repeating the vowel sounds, such as "Split splat," "wish-wash" and
g g g g g g g g g g g g
"pitter patter". g
Sestina -->A closed form poem composed of six six-line stanzas that take the same
g g g g g g g g g g g g g g
six ending words from the first stanza and repeats those end words in the following
g g g g g g g g g g g g g g
g five stanzas, just in a different order each time.
g g g g g g g g
Heroic Couplets -->Rhyming pairs of poetic lines written in iambic pentameter that is
g g g g g g g g g g g g
g generally self-contained. g
Drama -->A literary form that can include both poetry and prose; includes a plot,
g g g g g g g g g g g g g g
characters, and setting; and generally contains a vast amount of dialogue compared
g g g g g g g g g g g
g to the narrative.
g g
Tone -->The attitude or voice of the speaker.
g g g g g g g
Epigram -->A type of closed-form poetry that is short, concise, and often witty or
g g g g g g g g g g g g g g
pessimistic.
Syntax -->The arrangement of words in a certain pattern or structure.
g g g g g g g g g g