The Elements of Poetry

 Lines(lines)-A line is a subdivision of a poem,

specifically a group of words arrange into a row
that ends for a reason other than the right-hand
margin.
 Stanza(stanza)-A division of a poem consisting
two or more lines arranged together as a unit.
 Rhyme(rhyme)-Is the repetition of syllables,
typically at the end of a verse line.
Example: Cat-hat, rotten-forgotten, and
heard-bird.
 Rhyme scheme(rhyme scheme)-The formal
arrangement of rhymes in a stanza or a poem.
Example: The sun is shining bright. This is a
lovely sight.
 Free verse(free verse)- free verse is any form of
poetry that does not rely on consistent patterns
of rhyme and meter. In fact, free verse poetry
doesn’t have to rhyme at all.
Example: William Carlos Williams’s short poem
”The Red Wheelbarrow”
 Alliteration(alliteration)-Is the repetition of
constant sounds at the beginnings of words in
lines of poetry.
 Imagery(imagery)-Is the senses of the poem
evokes in the reader. Imagery puts the reader in
the poem to “see” the poem.
 Exaggeration(exaggeration)-Means claiming
something is greater than it really is.
Example: if you said “my cat is as big as a
house” or “I can run faster than the speed of
light”
 Figurative language(figurative language)-Language
that is used in imaginatively, rather than
literally, to express ideas or feelings in new ways.
Example: the phrase fierce tears(the
personification of tears)
 Onomatopoeia(onomatopoeia)-Is one way a poet
can create sounds in a poem. An onomatopoeia
is a word that actually looks like the sound it
makes, we can almost hear those sounds as we
read.
Example: How they clang, and clash, and roar!
On the bosom of the palpitating air!
 Symbol(symbol)-Symbols can be categorized as a
conventional, something that is generally
recognized to present certain idea.
Example: Roses are commonly a symbol of love
and romance.
 Mood(mood)-Describes how word choice, subject
matter, and the author’s tone convey an over all
feeling that characterizes the emotional
landscape of a poem for readers.
 Tone(tone)-The poet’s attitude toward the poem’s
speaker, reader, and subject matter, as
interpreted by the reader.
Example: a scorned lover writing a letter to
someone who was betrayed them will have a
different tone than a mother writing a letter to a
beloved son.
 Style(style)-Describes the ways that the authors
uses words.
Example: haiku, limerick, sonnet, ballad, ode,
etc.