Poetry Study Guide

 Terms to Know

Narrative Poem:               a poem that tells a story

Ballad Poem:                       a narrative poem that is meant to be sung

Epic Poem:                          a narrative poem about a hero

Lyric Poem:                         a short poem about emotion

Elegy:                                    a sad/mournful poem written for the dead

Limerick:                              funny poem, 5 lines long, AABBA rhyme scheme

Haiku:                                   Japanese poem, 3 lines long, 5-7-5 rhythm, about nature, free verse

Ode:                                     a poem written in dedication to someone or something

Verse/stanza:                    a poetic grouping of lines

Line:                                      one line of a poem

Free verse:                         a poem that doesn’t rhyme

Rhythm:                               beats per line in a poem

Rhyme:                                similar sounds at the end of poetry lines

Heroic Couplet:                 two lines of poetry that rhyme

Connotation:                     how you feel when you read a word

Denotation:                        the actual meaning of a word

Interpretation:                  attempting to find meaning

 

In addition to knowing these terms you will need to identify various types of poetry. You will need to be able to recognize and label the following types of poems: Haiku, Heroic Couplet, Limerick, and Free Verse. This should not be difficult if you understand the definition and parameters of each type of poetry.

Finally, you will be given a poem to read. You should be able to identify rhythm (numbers), identify rhyme scheme (letters), and interpret the meaning.

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