Literary terms

Syntax: the arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences in a language

Example: “To your house we are going" vs. “we are going to your house”

Function: The first quote would be an example of awkward syntax. You understand it, but it sounds odd. The reason a poet would use syntax is the same reason anyone would use it, because it makes your writing understandable. Syntax is sort of the bases of the way we speak today and the way we form sentences. This becomes important in poetry because many times poetry is hard to understand as it so making sure there is good syntax will help the writing and overall meaning of the poem. Syntax is important because the structure of a sentence gives it meaning. Two sentences can be similar in the words it uses but the way the sentence is structured can vastly change the sentence's meaning.

Tragedy: A play dealing with tragic events and having an unhappy ending, esp. one concerning the downfall of the main character. (I choose this definition because I thought it pertained more to the poems we will be reading)

Example: Romeo and Juliet

Function: William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is a tragic drama about two star-crossed lovers written in the mid-1590's. The protagonists here are faced with a momentous obstacle that results in a horrible and fatal conclusion.