Technique
Colloquialism
From Latin colloquium: conversation. Valued by Wordsworth (Lyrical Ballads preface, 1800) as the language of real men; essential to American poetry from Whitman to O'Hara.
Definition
The use of informal, conversational diction in poetry to create naturalness, immediacy, or social authenticity.
Example
Robert Frost's conversational tone in 'The Road Not Taken' masks philosophical complexity in plain speech.