What You Need to Know

Key Concept Diagram

Poetry uses line breaks, white space, and sound devices to create effects not possible in prose

Imagery uses sensory details (sight, sound, smell, taste, touch) to create vivid pictures in the reader's mind

Repetition of words, phrases, or structures creates emphasis and rhythm

Free verse has no strict rhyme or metre, relying instead on imagery and word choice

Key Vocabulary

Imagery

Language that appeals to the senses to create vivid mental pictures

Repetition

The deliberate use of the same word, phrase, or structure for emphasis or effect

Stanza

A group of lines in a poem, similar to a paragraph in prose

Free verse

Poetry that does not follow a fixed rhyme scheme or metre

Knowledge Check

Select the correct answer for each question. Click "Check Answer" to see if you are right.

Question 1

Which line BEST demonstrates imagery?

The dog is big. She was sad. The salt wind stung my cheeks and tasted of the sea. Time passed slowly.

Question 2

A poem repeats "Rain on the rooftop, rain on the street" at the start of each stanza. What effect does this create?

It confuses the reader It makes the poem easier to read but less interesting It replaces the need for imagery It creates rhythm and emphasis, linking the stanzas together

Question 3

Free verse poetry is best described as poetry that:

Does not follow fixed rhyme or metre rules Has a strict pattern of syllables per line Always rhymes at the end of each line Must be exactly 14 lines long

Writing Poetry