Elements in Poetry Notes
Element Definition
Rhyme Similar sounding syllables in
successive words
Rhythm Beat and pace of a poem formed by
sounds and syllables in words and
lines
You achieve rhythm by deciding how
many beats you want in each line
Metre An arrangement of stressed and
unstressed beats in a line
Lineation Deciding where and when to end a
line in a poem.
Continuing one line into another line
is called enjambment
Tone The attitude of the poet towards the
speaker or subject of the poem
Mood How the speaker or characters or
incidents cause the reader to feel
Diction The words selected to use in a poem
that aid in creating mood and
meaning
Symbolism Using words or images to create a
picture of concepts, people, objects
or events
Theme the message the poet wants to
communicate, or the topic or issue
discussed in the poem
Devices The literary tools the poet uses to
convey meaning in a spectacular way
Persona The speaker in the poem or the
perspective the poem is told from
Let’s discuss the elements of this poem. Discuss with two friends. Answer the
questions on a file page to be submitted. Let’s discuss out responses together.
My Parents
Example
The twerp burped in my face
After he’d lost his race
The belligerent brother bothered his sister
mischievously (6 beats)
The arrogant boy avoided his sister each
day (5 beats)
Was this the face that launched a thousand
ships?
5 stressed and 5 unstressed beats
He often told himself that
He could forget his past
But his past would not release him neither
could he forget
And yet they cry into the morning air
And hang from railings upside down
And laugh as though the world were theirs
The subject seems happy and joyful
The crafty cat climbed skilfully
to the top of the window sill
to steal the matron’s fish.
This is the Dark Time My Love – theme is
war
This includes simile, metaphor, assonance,
sibilance, etc.