List of Poetic Techniques used by poets to identify in A level exam PDF

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For A level English literature exam, a list of key poetic techniques used by a variety of poems (specifically Philip Larkin / Carol Ann Duffy) to identify in the exam, listed with a key definition/explanation of each term....

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Poetic Techniques: Antithesis: A person/thing that is the direct opposite of something else Allegory: An allegory is a kind of extended metaphor in which objects, persons, and actions stand for another meaning. Alliteration: Alliteration happens when words that begin with the same sound are placed close to one another Allusion: Calling something to mind without referencing it explicitly Anaphora: (Repetition) the repetition of the same word or group of words at the beginning of successive clauses or sections. Anti – Romance: an apathetic or self-doubting anti-hero cast as the protagonist, who fails in the object of his journey or struggle of love. Assonance: resemblance of sound between syllables of nearby words. Archaic: Lexis used no longer in everyday use but sometimes used to impart an old-fashioned flavour. Ballad: a poem narrating a story in short stanzas Blank Verse: A verse without rhyme, especially that which uses iambic pentameters Burlesque: An absurd or comically exaggerated imitation of something Caesura: a pause near the middle of a line Cliché: Clichés are phrases or expressions that are used so much in everyday life, that people roll their eyes when they hear them. In good poetry, clichés are never used with a straight face, so if you see one, consider why the speaker might be using it. Collocations: A habitual juxtaposition of a particular word with another word or words with a frequency greater than chance. Conceit: An ingenious or fanciful comparison or metaphor Contrast: Two parts which differ strikingly. Couplet: A pair of successive lines of verse, typically rhyming and of the same length. Cyclical Structure: Coming full circle, returning to the idea of the first stanza in the last. Didactic: Teaching/having moral instruction as an ulterior motive Dramatic Monologue: It’s a poem written in the voice of a fictional character and delivered to a fictional listener, instead of in the voice of a poet to his or her readers. Edenic references: References relating to or characteristic of the garden of Eden. End-Stopped Lines: An end-stop occurs when a line of poetry ends with a period or definite punctuation mark, such as a colon. Ellipses: used in narratives to omit some parts of a sentence or event. Enjambment: When a phrase carries over a line-break without a major pause. Extended metaphor: A central metaphor that acts like an “umbrella” to connect other metaphors or comparisons within it. It can span several lines or an entire poem

Estates Satire: An estates satire is a genre of writing that was popular in the 14th century. Medieval society consisted of three “estates” (the Clergy, the Nobility, and the Peasantry) that were believed to have been established by God.. Generally estates are presented negatively and shown to pursue wealth, power, and luxury instead of piety and duty. While Chaucer’s tale is an estates satire, his criticisms or praise are not clear-cut. Fabliau: A metrical tale, typically a bawdily humorous one Fatalistic: Characteristic of the belief that all events are predetermined and therefore inevitable Free Verse: A poetic style that lacks a regular meter or rhyme scheme Hyperbole: A hyperbole is a gross exaggeration. Iambic Pentameter: A rhythmic pattern that consist of five iambs per line. It’s the most common rhythm in English poetry and sounds like five heartbeats: ba-DUM, ba-DUM, ba-DUM, ba-DUM, ba-DUM Imagery: Intense, descriptive language in a poem that helps to trigger our senses and our memories when we read it. Irony: Irony involves saying one thing while really meaning another. Juxtaposition: Two things close together with contrasting effect. (Opposites) Metaphor: A metaphor happens when one thing is described as being another thing. Monosyllabic: A word consisting of one syllable Mock Heroic: Imitating the style of heroic literature in order to satirize an unheroic subject. Naive narrator: A Narrator who is unreliable because they are inexperienced or innocent, and do not understand the implications of their story Octave: A group or stanza of eight lines Omniscient Narrator: Third-person narration in which the teller of the tale, who often appears to speak with the voice of the author himself, assumes an omniscient (all-knowing) perspective on the story being told Onomatopoeia: Words that resemble in sound what they represent. Oxymoron: An oxymoron is the combination of two terms ordinarily seen as opposites. Pace: The rate of events in the poem, how fast does change/be read. Paradox: A statement that contradicts itself and nonetheless seems true. Parallel Phrasing: The repetition of a chosen grammatical form within a sentence Parallelism: It is the similarity of structure in a pair or series of related words, phrases, or clauses. Pathetic Fallacy: Attributes human qualities and emotions to nature e.g. weather. Personification: Personification involves giving human traits (qualities, feelings, action, or characteristics) to nonliving objects (things, colours, qualities, or ideas). Pun: A pun is a play on words. Multiple meanings of a word by replacing that word with another that is similar in sound but with different meaning.

Quatrain: A stanza with four lines. Quatrains are the most common stanza form. Rhetoric (elevated language): Language designed to have a persuasive or impressive effect Rhetorical Question: Rhetorical questions involve asking a question for a purpose other than obtaining the information requested. Rhyming Couplet: A pair of verses that rhyme, usually the same length Rhythm: The pattern of stresses within a line of verse. Rhythm is formed by stressed and unstressed syllables Senex amans: Meaning "aged lover" or "amorous old man" - a stock character of classical Greek and Roman comedy, medieval literature Simile: Similes compare one thing directly to another. Sonnet: A sonnet has fourteen lines in iambic pentameter and a regular rhyme scheme. Sonnets also feature a “turn” where the poem takes a new direction or changes its argument in some way. Speaker: The speaker is the voice behind the poem – the person we imagine to be speaking. It’s important to note that the speaker is not the poet. Even if the poem is biographical, you should treat the speaker as a fictional creation. Stanza: The way a poem is constructed - Like paragraphs (amount of lines). Stream of Consciousness: A literary style in which a character's thoughts, feelings, and reactions are depicted in a continuous flow uninterrupted by objective description or conventional dialogue Symbol: Generally speaking, a symbol is a sign representing something other than itself Taboo: Something prohibited or restricted by social custom. Tercet: A set or group of three lines of verse rhyming together or connected by rhyme with an adjacent triplet. Tone: The general mood or attitude. Triadic List: List of three that re more humorous, satisfying, or effective in execution Unreliable Narrator: A narrator, whether in literature, film, or theatre, whose credibility has been seriously compromised...