Tone

Definition: The attitude or emotion of the words in the poem spoken by the speaker.

Example: In the poem O'Captain My Captain, the tone in the beginning is mournful and the tone in the end is triumphant.

Significance: The tone is very important because it allows to you feel the mood of the poem. The tone lets the speaker express their feelings.

Interpretation

Definition:  To understand the meaning and theme of the poem. To find the meaning using your own words.

Example: My interpretation of the poem If is that it's inspirational towards boys.

Signficance: The significance of interpetating a poem is helpful because it allows you to fully understand what the poem is about.

Metaphor (Extended Metaphor)

Definition: A metaphor is when you compare two different ideas without using "like" or "as." An extended metaphor is comparing groups of connected ideas.


Example: 
Metaphor: "Baby you light up my world like nobody else" ~ One Direction


Extended Metaphor: The fog comes in on little cat feet.
It sits looking over the harbor and city
on silent haunches
and then, moves on. - 'Fog' - Carl Sandburg


Significance: The significance of metaphors is good because it makes the poem more interesting and fun to read. 

Speaker

Definition: A speaker is the narrative voice that expresses his/her feelings in the poem. The speaker is who the point of view is in the poem. The speaker may not always be the poet.


Example: Well, son, I'll tell you:
Life for me ain't been no crystal stair.
It's had tacks in it,
And splinters,
And boards torn up,
And places with no carpet on the floor --
Bare.
But all the time
I'se been a-climbin' on,
And reachin' landin's,
And turnin' corners,
And sometimes goin' in the dark
Where there ain't been no light.
So boy, don't you turn back.
Don't you set down on the steps
'Cause you finds it's kinder hard.
Don't you fall now --
For I'se still goin', honey,
I'se still climbin',
And life for me ain't been no crystal stair.

Mother and Son by Langston Hughes

In this poem, the mother is the speaker and she's talking to her son.

Significance: The significance of a speaker is important because it allows you to feel the mood of the poem. Also, the speaker helps let you understand the purpose and meaning of the poem. 

Symbol

Definition: A symbol is an object or a person that represents something.

Example: For Christians, the cross stands for Jesus's sacrifice. It symbolizes the sins he washed away when he died on it.

Significance: Symbols are important because it lets any object turn into something really valuable.

Couplet

Definition: A stanza that contains a pair of lines that are usually rhyme and are the same length.

Example: Silly SallyWhen Silly Sally irons her clothes, they come out looking awful.
She did not read the label and her iron was meant to waffle.

Significance: Couplets are important because it makes the poem easier to read and understand. Without couplets, poems would look more like a novel would be less fun to read.

Stanza

Definition: A group of lines in a poem that contains different numbers of verses.

Example: Do not go gentle into that good night

Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rage at close of day;

Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Significance: Stanzas allow you to clearly understand the poem by separating different ideas and organizing the poem. Without stanzas, the poems would be harder to read.