Poet's Glossary
Every craft has its vocabulary, and poetry's is one of the most beautiful. This glossary explains the forms, meters, rhymes and devices poets reach for, in plain and warm language. Whether you are decoding a sonnet or naming a technique you already use by instinct, start with a letter below.
Terms starting with D
Dactyl
A metrical foot of one stressed syllable followed by two unstressed ones, as in the word poetry itself. Dactylic rhythm rolls forward like a waltz.
Denotation
The plain dictionary meaning of a word, separate from its emotional shading. Poets weigh denotation against connotation with every word they choose.
Diction
A poet's choice of words and register, from formal to conversational to slang. Diction is the fingerprint of a poetic voice.
Dirge
A short song or poem of mourning, graver and more ceremonial than an elegy, written to accompany funeral rites.
Dissonance
A harsh, deliberate clash of sounds within a line. Poets reach for dissonance when the subject itself is discordant or painful.
Doggerel
Clumsy, sing-song verse with forced rhymes and lurching rhythm. Sometimes accidental, sometimes written on purpose for comic effect.
Dramatic Monologue
A poem spoken entirely by an invented character, not the poet, addressing a silent listener. Robert Browning perfected the form and made it a psychological portrait.
All letters
Enter the October poetry contest