Like any profession, poetry has it’s own language that professionals use to describe and categorize the poems encounter. Some words, like Dactyl or Enjambment, feel more akin to legal jargon than poetry descriptors, which can feel overwhelming to new and established poets alike.

To keep the creativity flowing, here are some common poetry terms that everyone- poet and non-poet alike- should know.

Ars poetica

A fancy term that describes any poem about poetry or examines the role of a poet/poetry in society. A good example is my “To Be A Poet” poem. Or, you can go straight to the source and read “Ars Poetica” by Horace!

Caesura

Pronounced “suh·zyur·uh,” the caesura is a pause or break in a metrical line, often marked by punctuation. It comes from the Latin caedere, meaning “to cut.” A good example would be the infamous line “To be, or not to be — that is the question…” from Hamlet.

Dactyl

A metrical foot that consists of a long (or stressed) syllable followed by two short (or unstressed) syllables. For example, “poetry” is a dactyl because the stress is on PO followed by the unstressed et and ry.

Enjambment

From the French word enjamber, which means “to stride over,” an enjambment is when a sentence or clause continues onto the next line without punctuation. It’s a popular style among poets who want to give their poems a conversational quality, or some stylistic line breaks.

Free verse/ Free Form

Like the name implies, free verse or free form has no rules. It’s thoughts and sentences in whatever order the poet decides. For example, my poem, “Inner Eclipse,” is free form.

Foot

A Foot is the measurement of syllabic meter. A single foot usually consists of one stressed syllable and one unstressed syllable.

Hyperbole

Hyperbole is a figure of speech where a poet over exaggerates the subject in order to create emphasis or comedic effect. It’s common in love poetry, epic sagas, ballads, and more. An example would be the lines “The curtain, a funeral pall/ Comes down with the rush of a storm” from the Conqueror Worm by Edgar Allen Poe.

Iamb

The Iamb is a metrical foot (like the Dactyl) where the word or sentence contains a soft (or unstressed) syllable followed by a hard (or stressed) syllable. Words like “provide,” “apple,” and “because” are examples of Iambs, and it’s often considered to mimic natural speech patterns- which is probably why so many poets wrote in Iambic Pentameter.

Imagery

Imagery in poetry is when a poet uses words that evoke one (or more) of the senses. It often comes from vivid or figurative language that represents ideas, objects, actions, or emotions. I think my poem, “Cleansing the City,” is a decent example of this.

Meter

Meter is the accents in a line of verse that determines the rhythm. Iambs and Dactyls are just two examples of meter combinations, and the meter used determines how smoothly the final poem sounds.

Poetic diction

Poetic Diction is what sets the language of poetry apart from other types of writing. It includes tone, syntax, word placement, POV, and more. According to The Poetics by Aristotle; “That diction, on the other hand, is lofty and raised above the commonplace which employs unusual words. By unusual, I mean strange (or rare) words, metaphorical, lengthened,—anything, in short, that differs from the normal idiom.”

Refrain

A Refrain is when you repeat a word, phrase, line, or stanza within the poem. It’s often found at the end of a poem (like in a Villanelle or Rondeau) but can work anywhere repetition is needed. For example, check out my Prayer to the Muses. It has a great refrain!

Rhyme scheme

A Rhyme Scheme is the pattern of rhymes that appear at the end of the poem. Many traditional forms will have a dedicated rhyme scheme (like the Sonnet’s ABAB CDCD EFEF GG), but poets can also use rhyme schemes in freeform poetry- like my poem about the Summer Blues.

Scansion

Scansion is how you determine the meter of a poem by separating the lines into “feet” and identifying the stressed and unstressed syllables. It’s also used to categorize the poem, check the rhyme scheme, and analyze the poem as a whole.

Slant rhyme

A Slant Rhyme is when words have similar sounds but aren’t identical. Sky and Tide, Worm and Swarm, Proud and Found, Eyes and Criticize are all examples of slant rhymes because they almost rhyme, but not quite.

Stanza

A Stanza is a group of lines that are separated from the rest of the poem. They’re used to tell a story, shift the tone, set up the twist, or change the POV. Most stanzas are 3 or more lines clumped together, and some can even count as poems within themselves! Check out my poem, The Apothecary, for an example of stanzas working together to create a poem.

Syntax

Syntax is how the poet arranges the words to convey the poem’s meaning. The syntax used is how the reader knows who’s speaking, what the poem is about, and how they feel about the subject. It also serves to create the poet’s signature voice and lets the reader experience the poem as intended.

Volta

Volta is the Italian word for “turn,” and it marks the shift of thought or argument within a poem. It’s usually found within a sonnet form, but other traditional forms can use it as well.

In Conclusion

These are some of the broader terms that a poet (or reader) may come across in their journey, and each one has a place in the professional poetry world. Once learned, they- and the others- can be used to create, appreciate, and strengthen your poetical knowledge!

What poetry terms should I include next time? Let me know in the comments!