Unit 5: Poetry II — form, Structure, and Syntax

Form ≠ Container

Understanding that form actively shapes the argument, emotion, and tension of a poem, not merely a box for words.

Scansion

The process of analyzing a poem's rhythm by marking the stressed (/) and unstressed (u) syllables.

Foot

The basic unit of measurement in a line of poetry.

Meter

The recurring pattern of sounds in poetry.

Iamb

A metrical foot consisting of an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable (u /).

Trochee

A metrical foot consisting of a stressed syllable followed by an unstressed syllable (/ u).

Spondee

A metrical foot consisting of two stressed syllables (/ /).

Anapest

A metrical foot consisting of two unstressed syllables followed by one stressed syllable (u u /).

Iambic Pentameter

A line consisting of five iambs, totaling ten syllables with alternating unstressed and stressed syllables.

Trochaic inversion

A break in iambic pentameter where a stressed syllable precedes an unstressed syllable, highlighting a change.

Closed Structure Poetry

Poetry that follows specific, pre-existing rules regarding rhyme, meter, and line count.

Sonnet

A 14-line lyric poem predominantly in iambic pentameter.

English Sonnet

A sonnet structure consisting of three quatrains and a final couplet, following the rhyme scheme ABAB CDCD EFEF GG.

Italian Sonnet

A sonnet structure comprising an octave and a sestet, typically following the rhyme scheme ABBAABBA for the octave.

Volta

The shift in tone or argument, usually occurring at line 9 in an Italian sonnet.

Villanelle

A highly repetitive form of poetry consisting of 19 lines with five tercets followed by a quatrain.

Rhymed Couplet

Two lines of equal length that rhyme, often creating a sense of completion.

Free Verse

Poetry that does not have a set meter or rhyme scheme, but uses cadence and visual arrangement.

Prose Poetry

A hybrid form that resembles prose in appearance but functions like poetry.

Enjambment

A continuation of a sentence without a pause beyond the end of a line, couplet, or stanza.

End-Stopped Line

A line that ends with a grammatical pause, creating stability and order.

Caesura

A strong pause within a line of poetry marked by punctuation.

Imagery

Descriptive language that appeals to the senses, aiding the poem's meaning.

Extended Metaphor

A metaphor that spans an entire poem or significant section, providing a deeper connection.

Allusion

A brief, indirect reference to a significant person, place, or idea.

Personification

Attributing human characteristics to non-human entities.

Apostrophe

A sub-type of personification where the speaker addresses an absent person or abstract concept.

Hyperbole

Exaggeration for emphasis, often used in satire and love poetry.

Understatement

Presenting something as less significant than it is, creating irony or highlighting stoicism.

Form Shopping

The mistake of merely identifying a poem's form without explaining its significance.

Ignoring Syntax

The mistake of analyzing lines without considering punctuation and flow.

Missing the Shift

Assuming the tone of the first stanza applies to the entire poem without recognizing changes.

Confusing Free Verse with No Structure

Saying that free verse has 'no structure' instead of acknowledging its open form and intentional elements.

Cadence

The natural rise and fall of speech used in free verse to create rhythm.

Visual Arrangement

The layout of the poem on the page, influencing its meaning and impact.

Repetition

The use of anaphora or parallelism in free verse to create rhythm.

The Couplet

The two-line conclusion of a Shakespearean sonnet that summarizes or twists the poem's argument.

The Octave

The first eight lines of a Petrarchan sonnet that sets up the main problem or theme.

The Sestet

The final six lines of a Petrarchan sonnet that respond to the octave.

Rhythm Feel

The emotional or sensory effect created by different types of metrical feet.

Poetic Argument

The development of ideas and themes in a poem, influenced by form and structure.

Tension in Poetry

The dynamic interaction between a poem's emotional content and its formal constraints.