Poetry Vocabulary Quiz
12 questions on poetry terms: rhyme, metaphor, stanza, verse and the devices poets use. B1–B2 level.
This quiz focuses on how the target vocabulary for Poetry is actually used in context at B1–B2 level, rather than testing bare definitions. Correct answers you will need to identify include terms such as rhyme, metaphor, stanza, verse and simile, each embedded in a full example sentence so you have to judge meaning from context, not just recognise an isolated word.
Working through all 12 questions and checking the explanations in the FAQ below is a quick way to spot any terms you are still unsure of. Revisiting the quiz again after a day or two, rather than only once, is one of the most reliable ways to move new vocabulary from passive recognition into words you can use confidently yourself in speaking and writing.
Keep building your poetry vocabulary.
Poetry Vocabulary — FAQ
What is rhyme?
Rhyme occurs when words end with the same or similar sounds, such as 'light' and 'night'. Poets use rhyme, often at the ends of lines, to create a pleasing sound, link ideas and make a poem easier to remember.
What is a metaphor?
A metaphor is a figure of speech that describes one thing as if it were another, without using 'like' or 'as'. For example, 'time is a thief' suggests that time steals moments from us. Metaphors create vivid, imaginative images.
What is a stanza?
A stanza is a group of lines in a poem set apart from other groups, rather like a paragraph in prose. Stanzas help organise a poem's ideas and rhythm, and they can have a fixed number of lines or vary.
What is verse?
Verse is writing arranged in lines, with rhythm and often rhyme, as opposed to ordinary prose. The word can refer to poetry in general or to a single stanza within a poem or song.
What is the difference between a metaphor and a simile?
Both compare two things, but a simile uses 'like' or 'as', as in 'brave as a lion'. A metaphor states the comparison directly, as in 'he is a lion in battle'. Metaphors are usually stronger and more direct.
What is metre in poetry?
Metre is the regular pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in a line of poetry. It creates a beat or rhythm, much like in music, and different poems use different metres to set their pace and mood.
What is personification?
Personification is a poetic device that gives human qualities, feelings or actions to animals, objects or ideas. Saying 'the wind whispered' or 'the sun smiled' brings the scene to life and adds emotion.
What is alliteration?
Alliteration is the repetition of the same beginning sound in words that are close together, such as 'wild and windy'. Poets use it to add musicality, draw attention to certain words and make lines memorable.
What is a sonnet?
A sonnet is a poem of fourteen lines that follows a set rhyme scheme and metre. Famous forms include the Shakespearean and Petrarchan sonnet, and they are often used to explore love, beauty or deep emotion.
What is free verse?
Free verse is poetry that does not follow a regular rhyme scheme or fixed metre. Instead of strict patterns, the poet uses natural speech rhythms, line breaks and imagery to create effect and meaning.