Poetry Terms

Anthology

A book which combines poems by several different authors. Sometimes the poems chosen by the book’s editor are on a single theme, or represent poems of a particular style or time period.

Collected Poems

All the poems from an author’s previous publications, gathered together into one book.

Collection

A book of poems by a single author: typically between 64 and 96 pages in length.

Couplet

A couplet is two lines of poetry arranged as a pair. If the two lines rhyme, it is called a rhyming couplet. Sonnets usually conclude with a couplet.

Dramatic monologue

A poem written from the point of view of a single person, who is definitely NOT the poet. The character speaks or thinks aloud, and often a whole story can be pieced together from the fragments they say.

Dub Poetry

A style of poetry that uses the rhythms of reggae music. It is often written to be performed live, over a music backing. Dub poetry emerged in the 1970s in Jamaica and England.

Editing

Making changes to your poem after you’ve written it. This might include changing a word, a piece of punctuation, breaking up a line, or cutting a whole line or verse.

Editor

A person at a magazine or publishing company who is responsible for choosing which writers or poems are selected for publication.

Form

A poetic form is a way of writing according to certain rules, which dictate the sound and flow of the poem. The rules might restrict the kinds of rhyme or metre you are allowed to use, whether you have to alliterate, whether you have to repeat certain lines, among other things.

Forward Prizes

Prestigious poetry prizes awarded every October in London, for work published the previous year. There are three categories: for best single poem, best first collection, and best collection.

Haiku

A type of short poem that originated in Japan. In English, a haiku usually consists of seventeen syllables, split into three unrhymed lines, opening with 5 syllables, then 7, then 5. Traditionally, Japanese haiku always feature a word known as a ‘kigo’, which is suggestive of one of the seasons.

Metre

The rhythmic structure of a poem (WHICH of the WORDS in a SEN-tence you STRESS when you SPEAK).

National Poetry Day

Usually the first Thursday in October, National Poetry Day is an annual celebration in the UK. A different theme is set every year, and anyone can participate by staging their own poetry event.

New and Selected Poems

A book where a selection of an author’s best poems from previous publications are brought together in one book; and combined with some previously unpublished poems.

Oulipo

A poetry school from the 1960s that applies some mathematical rules or constraints when writing poetry.  One famous example would be the ”S+7″ method, where a poet replaces each noun in a poem by another noun found seven places away in a chosen dictionary.

Pamphlet

A slim publication, usually with fewer than 36 pages, often cheaply produced, and usually with a paper cover.

Poet Laureate

A special post to honour an important poet. Originally a royal appointment, there are now poet laureates in many different countries, as well as local laureates who represent a city or region. The present UK poet laureate is Carol Ann Duffy.

Rhyme

1. Words ending with the same sound. eg cat and mat; cherry and berry; dance and chance.

2. A short, simple rhyming poem is sometimes called a rhyme.

Selected Poems

A book where a selection of an author’s best poems from previous publications are brought together in one book.

Slim Volume

A popular term for a poetry collection.

TS Eliot Prize

One of the most prestigious prizes that can be awarded to a living poet writing in English. It is awarded in London every January for a new poetry collection published the previous year.