Download Elements of Poetry

Elements of Poetry
Poetry is the most musical of literary forms.
Poets chose words for both sound and meaning, using the following elements:
1.) Sensory language—writing or speech that appeals to one or more of the five senses…sight,
sound, smell, taste and touch.
2.) Figurative language—writing that is innovative, imaginative, and not to be taken literally.
Writers use these figures of speech:
a.) Metaphor- describes one thing as if it were something else.
b.) Simile-uses “like” or “as” to compare two unlike things.
c.) Personification-gives human qualities to something non-human.
3.) Sound devices add a musical quality to poetry.
a.) Alliteration- the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words.
b.) Repetition- the repeated use of a word, sound, or phrase.
c.) Assonance-the repetition of vowel sounds in stressed syllables that end with different
consonant sounds.
d.) Consonance-the repetition of final consonant sounds in stressed syllables with different
vowel sounds.
e.) Onomatopoeia- the use of words that imitate sounds.
f.) Rhyme- the repetition of sounds at the end of words.
4.) Meter-the rhythmical pattern, or the arrangement and number of stressed and unstressed
syllables-in a poem.
Some Grammar Terms-look up examples of these on the internet.
Absolute phrase- a grammatically unconnected part of a sentence—generally a noun or pronoun
followed by a participle (and all the words connected with it).
Active voice- the form of a transitive verb indicating that its subject performs the action the verb
denotes. Emily sliced the ham.
Antecedent- a word or a word group that a pronoun refers to. The antecedent may follow (but usually
precedes) the pronoun: Like their trainers, pets can be polite or rude.
Appeal-the means of persuasion in argumentative writing: appeal relies on reason, authority and/or
emotion.
Appositive-a noun or noun phrase placed next to or very near another noun or noun phrase to
identify, explain, or supplement its meaning. Appositives may be restrictive-(set off by commas) or
nonrestrictive.
Auxiliary- a form of be, have or do (or a modal, such as will, should) used with a verb. They regularly
indicate tense but may also indicate voice, mood, person, or number.
Case-the form or position of a noun or pronoun that shows its use or relationship to other words in a
sentence. The 3 cases in English are the subjective (or nominative), the possessive (genitive) and he
objective (accusative).
Coherence-the belief that all the parts of a piece of writing should stick together, one sentence
leading to the next, each idea evolving from the previous one.
Collective noun- a noun singular in form that denotes a group: flock, jury, band.
Complex sentence-a sentence containing one main clause and at least one subordinate clause.
Compound-complex sentence-a sentence containing at least 2 main clauses and 1 or more
subordinate clauses.
Compound sentence-a sentence containing at least 2 main clauses and no subordinate clause.
Conjunctive adverbs-a word such as therefore, however, nevertheless, also indeed, otherwise, still,
etc that serves not only as an adverb but also as a connective.
Connective- a word or phrase that links and relates words, phrases, clauses, or sentences (and,
although, otherwise, finally, on the contrary, which, not only…but also). Conjunctions, conjunctive
adverbs, transitional expressions, relative pronouns, and correlatives function as connectives.
Coordinating conjunction-one of seven connectives: and, but, for, or, nor, so, yet.
Dangling modifier- a modifier that modifies nothing in a sentence and does not clearly refer to
another word or word group in the sentence.
Declension-a set or table of inflected forms of nouns or pronouns. I-me, mine,-me; we- our, ours- us.
Deduction- reasoning that begins with a generalization, relates a specific fact to that generalization,
and forms a conclusion to fit both.
Demonstratives-point out- this, that, these, those.
Determiner- a word such as a, an, the, my, their that signals the approach of a noun.
Direct object- a noun or noun clause naming whom or what after a transitive active verb.
Elliptical construction- when words are omitted but clearly understood. The curtains are newer
than the carpet [is].
Finite verb-a verb form that can function as the only verb in the predicate of the sentence. Verb
forms classified as gerunds, infinites or participles cannot.
Gerund- a verbal (nonfinite verb) that ends in –ing and functions as a noun. Gerunds may take
objects, complements, or modifiers. A noun or pronoun serving as the subject of the gerund takes
the possessive case.
Hyperbole-overstatement for effect.
Imperative mood- when a speaker or writer regards an assertion as a declarative statement or a
question.
Indefinite mood- when a speaker or writer regards an assertion as a command or request.
Indefinites-the article a or an and adjectives that do not specify distinct limits.
Indirect object- a word or words naming the one or ones indirectly affected by the action of the
verbs.
Indirect question-a question phrased as statement, usually a subordinate clause.
Induction-reasoning that begins with evidence and interprets it to form a conclusion.
Infinitive-a verbal used chiefly as a noun, less frequently as an adjective or an adverb. It is usually
made up of the word to plus the present form of a verb.
Inflection-changing a word to show a specific meaning or grammatical relationship to another word
or group of words…grasp-grasps, grasped.
Intensifier-a modifier used for emphasis-very boring.
Intensive/ reflexive pronoun-the –self pronouns (myself, himself) used for emphasis, used as an
object of a verb, verbal, or preposition, and always refers to another noun or pronoun in the same
sentence that denotes the same individual or individuals.
Interjections-express a simple exclamation.
Interrogative-asks a question.
Intransitive verb-a verb such as appear or belong that does not take an object.
Inversion-a change in the usual word order of a sentence.
Irony- a deliberate inconsistency between what is said and what is meant.
Jargon-technical slang, appropriate as a shortcut to communication when the audience is
knowledgeable of the topic and the terms.
Linking verbs-verbs that relate the subject complement to the subject—become, seem, appear, feel,
look, taste, smell, sound, and forms of the verb be.
Main clause-independent clause.
Mechanics-the correct use of capitals, italics, abbreviations, acronyms, and numbers.
Misplaced modifier-a modifier in an awkward position—usually far away from what it modifies. I
heard how to make catsup flow out of the bottle on the radio.
Mood-the way a speaker or writer regards an assertion.
Nonfinite verb-a verb form (verbal) used as a noun, an adjective, or an adverb. Cannot stand as the
only verb in a sentence.
Nonrestrictive-nonessential to the identification of the word or words referred to. A word or word
group is nonrestrictive when it is not necessary to the meaning of the sentence and can be omitted.
Object complement-a word that helps to complete the meaning of such verbs as make, paint, elect,
name. An object complement refers to or modifies the direct object.
Paradox-a seemingly contradictory statement that may actually be true.
Parallelism-the use of corresponding grammatically equal elements in sentences and paragraphs. It
aids the flow of a sentence, making it read smoothly and also emphasizes the relationship of the
ideas in the parallel elements.
Parenthetical element-nonessential matter usually set off by commas but often by dashes or
parentheses to mark pauses and intonation.
Participle- a verb form that may function as part of a verb phrase or as a modifier. Present
participles end in –ing. Past participles end in –ed.
Parts of speech-nouns, verbs, pronouns, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and
interjections.
Passive voice-the form of the verb which shows that its subject is not the agent performing the action
to which the verb refers but rather receives that action.
Perfect tenses-the tenses formed by the addition of a form of have and showing complex time
relationships in completing the action of the verb (the present perfect-have/has eaten, the past
perfect-had eaten, and the future perfect-will have eaten).
Personification-the attributing of human characteristics to nonhuman things.
Phrasal verb-a unit consisting of a verb plus one or two uninflected words like after, in, up, off, or out
and having the force of a single-word verb.
Plagiarism-using someone else’s words or ideas without giving them credit.
Point of view-the vantage point from which the subject is viewed. Also refers to the stance a writer
takes—objective or impartial (3rd person), directive (2nd person), or personal (1st person).
Positive-same as comparison.
Predicate adjective-the adjective used as a subject complement.
Predicate noun-a noun used as a subject complement.
Process analysis-a rhetorical strategy that writers use to instruct the reader in performing a
procedure or to explain how something occurs.
Progressive verb-a verb phrase consisting of a present participle (ending in –ing) used with a form
of be and denoting continuous action.
Qualifier-any modifier, descriptive or limiting.
Reciprocal pronoun-one of two compound pronouns expressing an interchangeable or mutual
action or relationship: each other or one another.
Restrictive- essential to the identification of the word or words referred to. A word or word group is
restrictive (therefore needed) when its meaning limits the word referred to by imposing conditions on
or by confining the word to a particular group or to a specific item or individual.
Rhetoric-the art of using language effectively. Involves purpose, audience, discovery and
exploration of a subject, its arrangement and organization, the style and tone of its expression and
the form in which it is delivered.
Subject complement-a word or words that completes the meaning of a linking verb and that modifies
or refers to the subject.
Subordinate clause-a dependent clause.
Syllogism-a three-part form of deductive reasoning.
Syntax-sentence structure; the grammatical arrangement of words, phrases, clauses.
Tense-the form of the verb that denotes time.
Tone-often conveyed through diction and sentence structure, tone reflects a writer’s attitude toward a
subject and the audience.
Understatement-intentional underemphasis for effect, usually ironic.
Unity-all the elements in an essay contribute to developing a single idea or thesis.
Validity-having to do with the structure rather than the truth of a deductive argument. An argument
has validity when the premises of a syllogism are correctly related to form a conclusion.
Verbal- a nonfinite verb used as a noun, an adjective, or an adverb. Infinitives, participles and
gerunds are verbals. Verbals may take objects, complements, modifiers, and sometimes subjects.
Voice-the form of a transitive verb that indicates whether or not the subject performs the action
denoted by the verb. A verb with a direct object is in the active voice. When the direct object is
converted into a subject, the verb is in the passive voice. A passive verb is always a verb phrase
consisting of a form of be (or sometimes get) followed by a past participle.