Conceit: The conceit is a striking metaphor. It is so original and unconventional that it not only strikes the reader into attention, but sometimes shocks them, being even objectionable or absurd at first. That is, the basic comparison (between the tenor, say, ‘beloved’, and the vehicle, say, ‘candle’) is "a kind of discordia concors; a combination of dissimilar images, or discovery of occult resemblance in things apparently unlike . . . the most heterogeneous ideas yoked by violence together" (Johnson). It is unconventional and apparently absurd to compare a beloved with a candle! But then the poet goes on to ‘justify’ it by using witty and ingenious argument (usually implicit in the development of the issue) so as to make us understand/ experience the “occult resemblance” between the entities being compared. (for instance, beloved could be as ‘slim’ and ‘bright’ and ‘tall’ and ‘white’… as a candle!)
       The conceit is a kind of metaphor in which an unusual comparison is extended by using witty and forced argument. This is a device that was made popular by a group of poets called the metaphysical poets in the seventeenth century.The conceit uses an analogy which is so striking and incredible at first. For example, John Donne uses ‘flea’ as a symbol of unity in love in his poem "The Flea’. This seems to be ‘ironical’ or absurd at first. But, in its own dramatic situation, and as the speaker begins to argue, the comparison becomes more and more convincing. The speaker in the poem "The Flea" tells his beloved not to kill the flea which has sucked the blood of both because it is three lives together, a unity, a trinity, and so on.
      The extension of the comparison is done in a relentless manner. The development of the logic is done by twisting and turning the comparison with the help of new and striking ideas, images, allusions, and words of different fields. The speaker in "The Flea", for instance, goes on to call the flea a marriage bed, a temple of love, and so on. The conceit is not just the basic metaphor but the comparison and the argument as a whole. In a sense, the conceit usually spreads throughout the poem.
      The use of conceit was criticized by critics like Dr. Samuel Johnson as "heterogeneous ideas yoked by violence together". It was a poetic device of disrepute for a long time until T.S. Eliot highlighted metaphysical poetry in the 1920's. The conceit is again a very common metaphorical device in modern poetry.

Elegy: The elegy was originally the form of poetry on the subject of sadness, especially ‘complaints about love’. Read More...

Epic: One the oldest of the poetic forms, the epic is a long narrative poem, majestic both in theme and style, dealing with legendary or historical events of national or universal significance, involving action of broad sweep and grandeur. Read More...

Epic Simile: The epic simile is a figurative device first popularized by Homer in his epics. It is a comparison that may be as long as a dozen lines. Read More...

Free verse: Free verse means poetry without rhyme-scheme and any standard or fixed rhythm. Read More...

Heroic couplet: Heroic couplet is a pair of lines with iambic pentameter; the lines must also rhyme together. Read More...

Iambic pentameter: Iambic pentameter means ‘five iambic feet in a line’. ‘Iambic’ means a unit of rhythm with two syllables where the first is not stressed (U) and the second is stressed (S). Read More...

Image: An image is considered to be a picture created in the mind by words. Generally images are divided as visual images and abstract images. Read More...

Imagery: Imagery is the general term for the use of ‘images’ in poetry. The use of all kinds of concrete, metaphoric and more abstract is called imagery. Read More...

Irony: Irony is an indirect way of criticizing things, and it can be done in several ways. The word ‘Irony’ comes from its Greek root ‘Eiron’, a dramatic character who spoke in ‘understatement’, pretending to be less intelligent. Read More...

Lyric: A lyric is a fairly short poem which is the expression of strong feelings (thoughts, or perceptions) of a single speaker in a meditative manner. Read More...

Metaphor:The term metaphor has two meanings. In its broad sense, it means any type of poetic comparison (also known as metaphorical language). Read More...

Meter: Meter is the quality of regular and conventional rhythm in poetic lines. Rhythm means any pattern, whether regular or not, and whether following any conventional pattern or not. Read More...

Nonsense Rhyme: A nonsense rhyme is a composition that by intention and often for the sake of humor. Separate from the common logic of language or thought. Read More...

Ode:Most simply, the Ode is known as a poem addressed to somebody or something. But, besides that one simple feature, the ode is characterized by a number of features of a special classical form of poetry, or poetic expression. Read More...

Blank verse: Blank verse refers to the poetic lines that use iambic pentameter without rhyming. Read More...