XI-English Introduction to Poetry Ms Ammara

Elements of Poetry
1. Line
Every poem has a different number of lines based on its type. To measure the length of a line in
a poem we have to count the number of syllables or the number of stresses in each line.

● What are Syllables?

Number of vowel sounds in each word
● What are stresses or stressed syllables?
Vowels which have a longer sound in a word or have a sound that needs emphasis. It is
marked with a slanted line /
● What are unstressed syllables?
Vowels which have a shorter and softer sound that doesn't require any emphasis on it. It
is marked with ‘u’

2. Foot
It is the basic measuring unit. A foot is made up of each stressed and unstressed
syllable in each word. Every word has its own stressed or unstressed syllables
which is called a foot.
Total number of feet altogether are called feet of the poem.

3. Metre
Arrangements of foot in a poem is called its metre. It means in which order the
foot(stressed and unstressed syllables) are arranged within a line.
Most common Metre:
Iambic Pentameter is the most common arrangement of feet. Pentameter means
five feet and iambic means each foot has one unstressed syllable (short) and one
stressed syllable(long).

4. Stanza
Set of lines in each poem is called a stanza. Poems have different kinds of
stanzas based on their genres.

5. Rhyme
Similar rhyming sounds at the end of each line of stanza.

6. Rhyme Scheme
Arrangements of rhyming sounds in a poem. A simple way to set out a scheme is
to write A for the first line, B for the second and so forth. If there’s a line that has
an ending sound similar to any line , then it will be given the same name of the
line it matches the sound of.

7. Free Verse
A poem that doesn't follow any specific metre, rhyme or scheme.
XI-English Introduction to Poetry Ms Ammara

Genres of Poetry
1. Lyric:
Lyric poetry that does not tell a story but instead is of a more personal nature.
Poems in this genre are shorter, melodic, and thoughtful. Rather than depicting
characters and actions, it portrays the poet’s own feelings, states of mind, and
perceptions.

2. Sonnet:
Originally begun in Italy, a sonnet is a form of poetry that has 14 lines. Sonnet
means a short song so usually it's a poem that is divided in two stanzas having
seven or eight lines.
Three major types of sonnets are Italian, English and Spensarian.

3. Elegy:
An elegy is a poem that mourns, and seeks consolation for, a loss of some kind:
the most common form of elegy is written to mourn the death of a loved one.

4. Ode
A lyric poem, often ceremonious that addresses and often celebrates a person,
place, thing, or idea. It is written in the form of an address which glorifies a
person, event or thing.

5. Ballad:
Ballad is a narrative song. Ballad is a poem that narrates a story, depicts
character, themes and message of the story. It depicts a series of events,
including actions and dialogues. It uses a number of poetic methods such as
rhyme, metre, and rhyming scheme. Usually, a narrative poem has a single
speaker who is known as the narrator; a narrator is a person who recites the
entire story from the beginning to the end.

6. Epic
Epic poetry is a major form of narrative poetry. This genre is often defined as
lengthy poems describing events of a heroic or important event. It narrates the
life and works of a heroic or legendary person or group of persons.
XI-English Introduction to Poetry Ms Ammara

Poetic Devices
1. Simile

It is a direct comparison between two different things using the words as and like.

Example: His house is as big as a castle.

2. Metaphor

It is a comparison between two different things without using the word as or like.

Example:
Her eyes were diamonds.
Life is a dream.

3. Personification
In personification we use human abilities for animals, things, places or other non-living things.

Example:
The moon was smiling.
The clouds cried tears of rain.

4. Hyperbole
It is a comparison in which exaggeration is used to either heighten or lessen the effect of
anything.

Example
It felt like I was there for ages.
I will die if she asks me to sing.

5. Alliteration
Repeated consonant sounds at the beginning of each word in a line.

6. Onomatopoeia
It refers to a word that resembles a sound.
Examples:
Bang. Shush
Boom Psssst
7. Oxymoron
It is a figure of speech in which opposite ideas are placed together.

8. Irony
It is a figure of speech in which words are used in such a way that their intended meaning is
different from their actual meaning.

9. Symbol
It is the use of an object, person, situation or word to represent something else, like an idea, in
literature.
Examples:
Dove represents peace.
Blood represents violence.
Roses represent love.

10. Imagery
Imagery is a poetic device used in poetry and other writing that uses vivid description
that appeals to a readers' senses to create an image or idea in their head.
XI-English Introduction to Poetry Ms Ammara

Exercise 1
Q.1 What is meant by Rhyme in poetry?

Q.2 What is a metre in a poem?

Arrangements of foot in a poem is called its metre. It means in which order the
foot(stressed and unstressed syllables) are arranged within a line.

Q.3 What are different kinds of stanzas?

Stanza means group of lines in a poem. The different kinds of a sensor depend upon
the number of lines they have in them.

Q.4 What is a sonnet?

Sonnet means a short song so usually it's a poem that is divided in two stanzas having
seven or eight lines.
Three major types of sonnets are Italian, English and Spensarian.

Q.5 Wht is the function of poetic devices?

Poetic devices are tools a poet can use to enhance the meaning, rhythm, or intensify a
mood or feeling of the poem.
They help put together a poem by using comparisons, rhyming sounds, imagination etc.