Meter

Definition: the type of pattern of unstressed and stressed syllables; each pair is a foot

Example:  This line is a iambic pentameter because it has 5 feet of unstressed stressed syllables.
                              1.............. 2.................3..............4................ 5
                        Shall.I..|..com.PARE..|..thee.TO..|..a.SUM..|..mer’s DAY?

Explanation: Meters are important to poetry because they determine what rhythm the poem can have. Also, if you know what type of meter the poem is, the poem can be easily read, according to the rhythm.

Rhyme

Definition: a repetition of similar sounds at the end of 2 or more words, usually at the end of a line

Example:  I'm thinking of you
                 With joy and pleasure,
                 Remembering times
                 I'll always treasure.

Explanation: The major reason why people add rhyming into their poetry is because it makes the poem appealing and it entertains the reader. Also, it shows the reader your skill of allocating words into a rhyming sequence. In addition, it can make your words flow when the poem is being read.

Rhythm

Definition: a series of stressed and unstressed syllables in a poem

Example: iambs have a rhythm of stressed unstressed pattern
                 That time of year thou mayst in me behold

Explanation: Rhythm is important to poetry because it can make your words flow a little easier. Also, putting stressed and unstressed syllables can put an emphasis on some emotions the poet is describing.

Onomatopoeia

Definition: noises or sounds that can be written into words

Example: BOOM!

Explanation: These noises can entertain the reader by adding sound effects to their poetry. Also, you can tell  that some kind of action is occuring in the poem.

Personification

Definition: giving an inanimate object human characteristics

Example: The wind howled through the night.

Explanation: Personification makes your poetry more fun and alive. Also, the reader can relate to these human qualities that are used in the poem.

Imagery

Definition: using your senses to describe objects

Example:  From this stanza, the imagery tells you that it's dinner time.

The winter evening settles down

With smell of steaks in passageways.

Six o'clock.

Explanation: Imagery helps you visualize what the poet is describing. It gets the reader to use their senses and think deeply on what they are trying to imagine.

Simile

Definition: comparing two objects using "like" or "as"

Example: The kids in our class are bright as stars.

Explanation: Similes are important to poetry because they can create more imagery and depth into your poems.  It gets the reader visualizing the objects described in the poem. Also, it makes your poem more entertaining to the reader.

Repetition

Definition: a portion of a poem in which a word, set of words, or phrases is repeated

Example: 

Because I do not hope to turn again
Because I do not hope
Because I do not hope to turn....

 Explanation: Repetition gives you more emphasis on the concept of the poem. Once you know what is being repeated, you can get a clue on what the poet wants you realize is the main idea. Also, repetition can lead you to the theme of the poem.

Interpretation

Definition: the way the reader views the meaning and theme of the poem; an opinion

Example: in this poem you can interpret that the speaker has done something terrible to their friend

I wish I could see your faces
when I tell you how sorry I am
the lies that you told me
circle around in my mind
I told you what I was feeling
but you pushed it aside
know all I get is glares
from a once of a friend

Explanation: Interpretation is crucial in poetry because it allows the reader to understand the poem in their own way. it makes poetry better because if the poem has a very vague meaning or theme, the reader can create many interpretations for that one poem. As a result, the reader will be more engaged when finding different interpretations.

Tone

Definition: the way, emotions, and attitude in which the poem is expressed by the speaker

Example: in the poem below the tone is very sad and depressing.

 

Feeling tired
Feeling weak
With all the pain you do not seek

Feeling scared and unprepared
Are feelings that we all share

In whatever you decide
We will be by your side

We all hold hands with each other
With love and hope for you my broth

 

Explanation: Tones are important to poetry because it tells the reader how the speaker is feeling. Also, tones add some feeling to the poem. So, the reader can sometimes relate to the emotions the speaker is experiencing.

 

 

Metaphor

Definition: a type of figurative language in which you compare two things

Example: The fog comes in on little cat feet.
                It sits looking over the harbor and city
               on silent haunches
               and then, moves on. - 'Fog' - Carl Sandburg.
           
 In this extended metaphor the fog is being compared to a cat.

Explanation: Metaphors are important to poetry because they can add pizzazz to your work. Instead of being too literal with the meaning, you can compare it to something else. It gets the reader more involved in the writing when they have to interpret what the meaning is.

Speaker

Definition: The speaker is the person conveying the message of the poem. It can be the poet or an imaginary character in the poem.

Example: Come,
                 Let us roam the night together
                Singing.
       
 In this stanza the speaker is the character roaming through the night, not the author.

Explanation: Speakers are important because they can show some emotions or thoughts that a character is experiencing. Speakers tell the reader that this may not be from the poet's point of view, but from someone else's experience. Also, speakers make poetry better because they can either make the poem very interesting or boring.

Symbol

Definition: an object that has a deeper meaning than its literal one

Example: a dove can be a symbol of peace

Explanantion: Symbols are important to poetry because they can make your poems more interesting. Instead of being too straight forward, the reader can interpret the poem in their own way. So, the reader would be more fascinated with the poem. Also, it can define an object or idea with more depth.

Couplet

Definition: a two lined stanza that rhymes

Example:

Ideas with nowhere to hide
An eureka moment inside

Explanation: Couplets are important because they can organize your writing, just like stanzas. Also, the rhyming can entertain the reader. It makes your poetry better because it can make your poems unique with the your choice of the rhyming words.

Stanza

Definition: a group of lines in a poem: it's like a paragraph

Example:  (this poem has 2 stanzas)

Down to the beach
Down to the beach
On a sunny day we go

Beach bags packed with sun screen lotions
Hands rubbing people’s backs in slow motion
Glistening oily bodies radiating with sensation
Explanation: Stanzas are important because they can organize your thoughts into a format that is easy to read.  It makes poetry better, so that all your emotions and feelings aren't jumbled up into random sentences. It makes your poem very neat and well written.