iUniverse How To: The Mechanics of Poetry – Part II

As mentioned in Part I of this series, you should familiarize yourself with some of the literary devices that poets use to write poetry. In this article, iUniverse continues to present some of the literary terms used, their definitions and examples.

figure of speech – an expression in which words are used in a non-literal way to convey a vivid or forceful mental image.

iambic pentameter – meaning to have five iambs or iambic feet, a commonly used metrical line in traditional verse. The term describes the particular rhythm that the words establish in a line.

image – a word, or group of words, that evokes a sensory impression.

irony – a mode of expression in which a poet says one thing but means the opposite.

metaphor – a figure of speech in which two things are identified with each other, a comparison of two things without using like or as.

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