Poems for Kids. Poetry for Teens. Lesson Plans. Resources for Teachers. Academy of American Poets. American Poets Magazine. Poetic Diction Explore the glossary of poetic terms. Academy of American Poets Educator Newsletter. Teach This Poem. Follow Us. For example, a word like love has many definitions, and these definitions depend largely on how the word is used.
If the word refers to a relationship between two people, its meaning might be simple. However, if the word has multiple meanings then it may be more complex. After analyzing the key vocabulary of a poem, the reader should turn to the syntax. Syntax is the way a poet arranges the words within a poem. Consider whether the poem has ordinary or unusual syntax. Ordinary syntax is an arrangement of words that follows the way people usually speak or write, while unusual syntax is an arrangement of words that deviates from the way that people usually speak and write.
The way that the vocabulary and syntax come together and interact with one another plays a large role in conveying the speaker's attitude or the tone of the poem. Many poems are written in highly-structured forms that must conform to specific rules. In heroic couplets, for instance, the poet must write in iambic pentameter, with five stressed and five unstressed syllables arranged in an alternating manner.
Furthermore, the end syllables of each pair of lines must rhyme. Within these restraints, diction becomes extremely important, as the poet must choose words that fit these restraints without compromising the meaning that he wishes to convey. Each word must be assessed based on its meaning and its role in the rhythm and rhyme scheme. Diction in poetry is also incredibly important because of its ability to convey tone.
Words conveying ideas of dreariness, darkness, and melancholy will convey a drastically different tone than those suggestive of joy, brightness, and energy.
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