Class Vocabulary
This reference page is for anyone interested in exploring the land of poetry but mainly targeted at my students to navigate at their leisure, during or after class.
General terms:
Lineation:
How lines are broken and arranged in a poem. This tells a poem from regular prose on the page. (ie. the length of a line… long lines vs short lines)
Example:“we are so much more We're a newborn's first breath and giggling high-school sweethearts”- We Poets
White Space:
Spaces where there are no words, but white space has purpose because the poetry is still going. It is intentional and one of its purposes is to create moment(s)of reflection.
Example:The Wordsmith wondrously crocheting her bones of poetry into meExcerpt from SONKU 4 SONIA (For Sonia Sanchez)
Alliteration:
“The occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning or adjacent or closely connected words” -New Oxford American Dictionary
Example:“Swallowing myself
In an endless
Tangle & tumble
Of touch and torque”- SPEAK!
Metaphor
Highlights a connection between two things. It is a direct comparison
Example: We're a newborn's first breath- We Poets
Compression
A poetic technique/device that comprises of the ability to make fewer words communicate with power
Example: The wordslightningheld me fastto the belly of compressionI burnedright therein thespark ofits brevity-A Gift from Lucille (For Lucille Clifton)
Haiku:
A traditional Japanese poetic form using a 5-7-5 syllable structure.Example:“Our hearts are a blazeWith the way evil breaks teethScalps and scab’s kids’ knees Children on a busDeserve providence and lightAnd pancakes at dawn And so I lamentAnd ask the Holy GodheadTo destroy Strongholds.”- I HEAR YOUR MOANING, PHILLY
Ekphrastic:
A vivid description of a work of art, including a sculpture, a painting or a photo. It is Greek for “to describe fully.” Example:
Acrostic:
A poem in which the first letter of each line spells out a word, name, or phrase when read vertically.Example: “Jaz is a jovial being rising early as the sun’s first customer
Amiable and accomplished with enough exuberance for all
Zealously putting the day to bed, while zestfully looking towards the promise of another sunrise”- JAZ
List:
A list poem, also known as a catalog poem, is a type of poetry that organizes a series of items, such as people, places, or ideas, into a structured list.
Example:“ProlificParamountPalatablePanoramicPeculiarObscureOffbeatObservableEbullientEarthyEnigmaticEdibleThriftyTenderTransientTeachableTactileTangibleandTemperamental!RambunctiousReliableRadiantand RavishingYearningYearningYearning”.- P.O.E.T.R.Y. (this is both a list poem and an Acrostic poem)