Poetry Analysis and Interpretation Flashcards

Grade 6 · English · Flashcards

Key poetic devices, terms, and concepts for reading and analyzing poems.

Flashcards

Simile: Comparison of two things using 'like' or 'as' (e.g., 'quiet as a mouse').
Metaphor: Direct comparison stating one thing IS another (e.g., 'Time is a thief').
Personification: Giving human traits, emotions, or actions to non-human objects or animals.
Imagery: Descriptive language that creates sensory experiences — sight, sound, smell, taste, or touch.
Alliteration: Repetition of the same initial consonant sound in closely connected words.
Onomatopoeia: A word that imitates the sound it names (e.g., crack, sizzle, murmur).
Rhyme scheme: The pattern of end rhymes in a poem, labeled with consecutive letters (A, B, C, etc.).
Stanza: A grouped unit of lines in a poem, separated by blank space.
Tone: The speaker's attitude toward the subject, conveyed through word choice and imagery.
Mood: The feeling or atmosphere the poem creates in the reader.
Theme: The central message or insight about life that the poem communicates.
Speaker: The voice or persona through which the poem is narrated — not necessarily the poet.
Hyperbole: Extreme exaggeration used for emphasis or effect (e.g., 'I've told you a million times').