Christopher Marlowe's Poems Study Guide

Glossary of Terms

apostrophe

A poem addressed to an inanimate object or an absent person.

appetence

Something strongly wanted or desired.

augurs

Fortells or prophesizes

betwixt

Achaic term meaning between

cadess

A jackdaw

cozenest

Deceived or fooled

elegia

Latin term describing a poem written about personal feelings rather than historical events. It is related to the English word "elegy", but it does not mean exactly the same thing.

elegiae

Latin plural of elegia

epyllion

A short epic poem

glisters

Glistens or shines

Hellespont

The strait between Europe and Asia minor. The body of water which separated Hero and Leander.

hexameter

A poetic line containing six feet. A common classical Greek line (Homer wrote in hexameters,) and used often in clssical Roman poetry.

iambic

A type of poetic foot consisting of one short and one long syllable.

kirtle

A medieval woman's dress

madrigals

A type of Medieval song, usually sung in chorus or in a round

Muse

A Roman (and earlier Greek) deity representing inspiration in art. Ovid is usually referring to the muses of poetry.

pentameter

A poetic line of five feet. Ovid's Amores alternated hexameters and pentameters. Marlowe translated Amores into English pentameters.

personification

A literary device in which a person is created to represent and idea.

purloin

To steal or take without permission

puttock

A bird (the kite)

sartorial

Regarding clothing -- usually implying splendidness or showiness

sestiad

A division of a piece of poetry -- Chapman later divided Hero and Leander into two sestiads (and then added four of his own). Marlowe did not make this division in the poem.

surcease

To finish or come to and end.

tetrameter

A line of verse having four metrical feet

troche

A foot of poetry comprised of one stressed foot followed by an unstressed foot. Such a line is called "trochaic"

wen

A mark on the body