Unit 2: Analyzing the Function of Form

Stanza

A group of lines in a poem, separated by a space, functioning similarly to a paragraph.

Couplet

A two-line stanza, often rhyming, usually providing resolution in poetry.

Quatrain

A four-line stanza, commonly used to establish narrative flow in English poetry.

Sestet

A six-line stanza, often presenting a solution to a problem posed in poetry.

Octave

An eight-line stanza, typically introducing a problem in Italian sonnets.

End-Stopped Line

A line that ends with a natural grammatical pause, creating stability or finality.

Enjambment

A run-on line that carries its meaning to the next line without pause, creating momentum.

Caesura

A strong pause within a line of verse, often symbolizing an interruption in thought.

Meter

The organized rhythm of a poem, determined by patterns of stressed and unstressed syllables.

Iamb

A metrical foot consisting of an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable (da-DUM).

Trochee

A metrical foot consisting of a stressed syllable followed by an unstressed syllable (DA-dum).

Iambic Pentameter

A common meter in poetry, consisting of five iambs per line, totaling ten syllables.

Blank Verse

Unrhymed iambic pentameter, often used in English drama.

Free Verse

Poetry that does not have a consistent meter or rhyme scheme, relying on line breaks for structure.

Metaphor

A direct comparison stating that one thing is another, conveying deeper meanings.

Simile

A comparison using 'like' or 'as' to draw connections between two unlike things.

Extended Metaphor

A metaphor developed over several lines or throughout an entire poem.

Personification

Attributing human qualities to inanimate objects or abstract concepts.

Apostrophe

A literary device wherein the speaker directly addresses an absent person or abstract concept.

Imagery

Language that evokes sensory experiences by appealing to the five senses.

Visual Imagery

Imagery that evokes sight, often symbolizing emotions through colors and shapes.

Auditory Imagery

Imagery that evokes sound, creating atmosphere through various sound descriptors.

Tactile Imagery

Imagery related to touch, establishing feelings of physical comfort or discomfort.

Olfactory Imagery

Imagery related to smell, often linked to memory and nostalgia.

Gustatory Imagery

Imagery related to taste, usually paralleling experiences in the speaker's life.

The Shift (Volta)

A distinct change in the speaker's tone, topic, or perspective in a poem.