Poetry Terms

Front 1

the speaker's attitude toward his/her audience and/or subject matter

Back 1

tone

Front 2

strong contrast between expection and reality; what happens is the opposite of what's expected

Back 2

irony

Front 3

a poem that tells a story

Back 3

narrative

Front 4

a poem that expresses deep emotion or observations

Back 4

lyric

Front 5

narrative poem, often of folk origin and intended to be sung, consisting of simple stanzas and usually a refrain that repeats.

Back 5

ballad

Front 6

a poem composed as a lament for a deceased person

Back 6

elegy

Front 7

extended narrative poem in elevated language, celebrating the feats of a legendary hero

Back 7

epic poem

Front 8

japanese lyric verse having 3 unrhymed lines of 5,7,and 5 syllables; usually deals with nature or seasons

Back 8

haiku

Front 9

lyric poem; long, meditative, formal and usually focused on celebrating something.

Back 9

ode

Front 10

14 line poem in iambic pentameter with conventional rhyme scheme

Back 10

sonnet

Front 11

a division of poetry, often named for the number of lines it contains, usually characterized by a common pattern of meter, rhyme, and number of lines

Back 11

stanza

Front 12

2 successive rhyming lines, usually having the same meter and forming a complete thought

Back 12

couplet