Poetic Devices / Techniques

Literary
Technique / Definition Example Effect
Device
Used most effectively for
emphasis in argumentative
“It was the best of
prose and speeches and in
The repetition of a word or times, it was the
poetry
phrase at the beginning of worst of times, it was
Anaphora To create a driving rhythm,
successive clauses. the age of wisdom, it
heighten emotion, add
was the age of
emphasis and make
foolishness,
something easier to
remember
Creates rhythm
Emphasizes certain words
Creates mood or tone
The repetition of usually The wild and woolly Deliver Comedic Effect
Alliteration initial consonant sounds in walrus waits and To help you remember
two or more neighbouring wonders when we'll Establish a mood when the
words or syllables. walk by. repeated sounds are soft or
make use of internal sounds.
Make a point in prose or
dialogue
Extra meaning or imagery
for the scene
Seamless recommendations
The rise in poverty will
Added validity to claims
A word/phrase that unlock the Pandora’s
Pays tribute
suggests something else. If box of crimes. – This is
Self-promotion
Allusion many people can relate to an allusion to one of
Indirect or passing
it, it allows you to connect Greek Mythology’s
reference
with the subject matter of origin myth, “Pandora’s
Give a deeper meaning to a
the poem. box”.
story
Referring to another piece
of work that people are
most familiar with
Can force the reader to
A word/phrase that could decide what happens in the
mean more than one thing. A good life depends story for him/herself
To get the reader thinking on a liver – Liver may To create situations that
Ambiguity
about the different be an organ or simply a ask the reader to bring
possibilities in the living person. their own experience to
word/phrase. bear to decide what
happened
Holy & stony Reinforce the meanings of
Assonance A resemblance of sound in and words to set the mood
words or syllables. Feet feet sweep by Grab the reader’s attention
sleeping geese. Add a rhythm
 Poetic Devices / Techniques

Makes the poem indelible as

well as interesting
Stimulates the reader’s
sensation
Used to accelerate the
musical effects in a poem
Develops internal rhyme and
enhances the pleasure of
reading
Creates a mood as well as a
flow that allows the readers
to connect with the subject
matter
In literature the term Mixture of harsh and
refers to the use of words inharmonious sounds
with sharp, harsh, hissing, To achieve unmelodious
Cacophony Where spouting pillars
and unmelodious sounds – results
spoor the evening sky,
primarily those of To pause or change tone in
consonants – to achieve meaning
desired results.
Breaks up monotonous
rhythm
A natural phrase or break
Forces the reader to take
in a line of poetry - usually Dead ! One of them
note of the phrase that
in the middle. Can serve as shot by the sea in the
precedes the caesura
a pause/change in east…
Caesura Creates an ominous or
tone/meaning. Could serve What art can a woman
dramatic effect
to separate, juxtapose be good at? || Oh, vain
Juxtaposes certain ideas
certain ideas. Used for !
Used for rhetorical effects
rhetorical effect
Used to separate certain
ideas
Sneaks in writers being part
of the society
Influences the way people
Colloquialism is the use of are in that society
Y’all – you all
informal words, phrases, or Used to refer language that
Colloquialism
even slang in a piece of is normally used in casual
writing. conversation.
Writers creep in figures of
speech as a method of
enhancing their work
Deed to refer to something
that is predictable because
of some previous events
A word or phrase that has No pain, no gain.
Expressions that were once
Cliché become overly familiar or Opposites attract.
new and fresh
commonplace. Break a leg.
Represent a paradox
Represents common phrases
Usually overused
 Poetic Devices / Techniques

Familiar or commonplace
Implying words by not
saying the word but
An idea or feeling that is
describing it explicitly
often associated with a
Additions to literal
word or phrase. To hit to
“That woman is a dove meanings or denotations
the audience/readers that
at heart.” – Here, the Carry cultural and emotional
Connotation there is a bigger theme or
dove implies peace or associations or meanings
idea behind the words.
gentility. To hint of a bigger theme
Perhaps to hint at what
or bigger picture that is
else might happen in the
hidden behind the words
poem.
Foreshadow or hint what
else might happen
When omitting a word,
phrase, line, paragraph, or
from a quoted passage
Saves space
Series of marks ... Removes material that is
That’s how my heart
that usually indicate an less relevant
weaved love, and you …
intentional omission of a To signal confusion,
amorous tapestry
Ellipsis word or sentence. To disapproval, hesitation, or
your sweet arms laid on
create a pause, slow down show more is to come
an ardent pathway for
pace, make the reader Way of showing their
me.
think. thoughts are unfinished
Expecting a response from
their interlocutors
Slow down pace, makes the
reader think
A technique in which the Allow the idea to continue
idea or perhaps rhythm of beyond the limitations of a
one line are continued and single line
completed in the next line. Reinforce certain ideas
I think I had never
May be used to show within the lines themselves
seen
Enjambment excitement. Can also Surprise the reader
A verse as beautiful as
suggest movement. It also Setting up one idea at the
a flower.
draws attention to the start and changing the idea
words at the start of the later on
next line - perhaps Drawing attention
important? Show excitement
A word or expression used Not to hurt anyone’s
instead of saying something feelings
which might Not to convey unpleasant or
be unpleasant or “kick the bucket” is a inappropriate messages
embarrassing . To euphemism that To make a polite reference
Euphemism
communicate an awkward describes the death of to physical or psychological
emotion, often suggests a person. disability of the people
how someone feels about a To communicate an awkward
traumatic event, for emotion
instance a death.
 Poetic Devices / Techniques

Suggest how someone feels

about a dramatic event
An expression to imply
something embarrassing or
emotional
Authors point of view or
Using the pronoun of 'I'
perspectives
often means the piece is
Narrative, Auto-biological
autobiographical. As if the Trauma in my eyes,
Alternative to third person
poet is letting you in on I've become blind
First Person Letting the reader in
something. Also: 2nd wandering inside
Addressing the reader
person, use of 'you'. Poet of my confines
directly to get them
addresses reader directly
involved
to get them involved.
Use of pronouns
“Come slowly, Eden Disregards all traditional
Lips unused to thee. rules of poetry
Bashful, sip thy Based on a poet’s own rules
Poetry avoids regular of personal thought
patterns of rhythm and jasmines,
patterns and breath
rhyme, although it may use As the fainting bee,
patterns
other repetitive patterns Reaching late his Poet has the freedom to
Free Verse of word, phrases flower, create the form
or structures. Doesn't Round her chamber Emphasis specific words and
sound so much like a poem - sounds
hums,
seems more natural, as if More natural
Counts his
the poet is speaking to you. Poet’s way of speaking to
nectars—alights,
you (reader)
And is lost in balms!”

Figure of speech
Exaggerating ideas that
need stress
Include certain effects
Humor / amusing effect in
Mile-high ice-cream the text
Hyperbole Big exaggeration, usually cones. Present something common
with humour. I am so hungry I could in an intense manner
eat a horse. Turning a common feeling
into a remarkable one
Provides a contrast
Grabs readers attention
Makes the literary work
memorable for a long time
Use of word-pictures To evoke ideas, feelings,
(images), figures of speech It was dark and dim in objects actions, states of
(similes, metaphors) and the forest. mind
Imagery
description. To evoke ideas, The words “dark” and Describe something so that
feelings, objects, actions, “dim” are visual images. it appeals to the 5 senses
states of mind.
 Poetic Devices / Techniques

(smell, sight, taste, touch,

hearing)
Immersion to the novel
More enjoyable
Showing the reader not
telling them
Comparisons
Comparing two things by Stating something is
using one kind of object or Her hair was silk. something else
Metaphor
using in place of another to He was a bull in a china Suggestions
suggest the likeness shop. Exaggerations
between them. Likeness between two
objects/ things
Imitates the sound it
produces
Helps describe sounds
Naming a thing or an action accurately
Onomatopoeia
by imitating the sound Buzz, hiss, roar, woof. Makes writing more lively
associated with it. and interesting
Naming a thing or action
Imitation / slows the
reader down; alters pace
Appeals to us instantly
A phrase combining two
Provokes our thoughts
terms that seem to be
Makes us ponder the
opposites. The poet can
meaning of contradicting
show us that two very
There was a love-hate ideas
different things were going
relationship between Show us two very different
Oxymoron on at the same time. They
the two neighbouring things going on at the same
can make us think again
states. time
about something we took
Making us think back on
for granted. Suggests
what we might have taken
unpredictability: things
for granted
could change.
Unpredictability / changes
Attributes human emotions
and traits to nature or
Describing a natural thing
inanimate objects
like the weather or the sea,
Represent characters’
as if it is feeling the
emotions or their actions in
emotion expressed by the “I wandered lonely as a
a scene.
poet / character. cloud
Help set the tone and the
Emphasises the That floats on high o’er
Pathetic Fallacy mood while adding depth to
emotion/mood felt by the vales and hills,”
characterizations
poet/characters by making
Emphasis the emotions/
it seem as if everything in
mood felt by the poet.
the poem is feeling that
Making it seem like
emotion, even in the natural
everything in the poem is
world.
feeling the same emotion,
even in the natural world
 Poetic Devices / Techniques

Making non-human entities

The stuffed bear
more vivid, help readers
smiled as the little boy
understand, sympathize
Personification Giving something human hugged him close.
with
qualities. The moon crept across
React emotionally to
the sky.
non-human characters
Giving human qualities
Suggesting two or more
meanings
A play on words, in which
Exploiting similar sounding
two different meanings are
words that have different
suggested either by the
meanings
same word or two similar
Time flies like an Ambiguities that word
sounding words. Sometimes
Pun arrow. Fruit flies like a entail
for humorous effect,
banana. Homophones and homonyms
sometimes to allow the
Can refer to two meanings
poet to communicate to us
Communicating with the
more than one meaning for
reader for more than one
the part of the poem.
meaning for the part of the
poem
Phrases are repeated in a
literary work
Create rhythm, bring
attention to an idea
Rhetorical device to bring
Repeating a word or phrase. attention to an idea
“It was many and many
Repetition Emphasises whatever is Emphasis whatever is being
a year ago
being repeated. repeated
Draw attention to a
seemingly minor detail
Turn reader’s attitude from
eager intent to down-right
hostility
Makes the poem musical
Baa baa black sheep, Predicable pleasure
The use of words with
have you any wool? Establish the form
matching sounds, often at
Yes sir, yes sir, three Connects lines in a poem.
the end of each line. Links
bags full! Suggests something is going
significant words together,
Rhyme One for the master, on and on if all lines have
connects lines in the poem.
one for the dame, the same rhyme
Suggests something is
And one for the little Ignites the pacing of the
going on and on if all the
boy who lives down the poem
lines have the same rhyme.
lane.” More powerful, more
memorable
Just as in music, the Give the reader the feel of
pattern of beats created Do it as you the atmosphere of the poem
Rhythm by the words in a poem and planned, I’d choose Flow, and beat, very critical
the way they are organized. to stay at home. Suggest something it’s
Can move the poem along at describing
 Poetic Devices / Techniques

a certain pace. Like a song, Usually used when

can sometimes suggest the describing movement
rhythm of something it is Can move the poem along a
describing. Rhythm is often certain direction/ pace
used when describing Creates tone
movement. Generates emotions and
enhances ideas
A figure of speech Getting information across
The sun is like a
Simile comparing two unlike things Helps the readers ‘see’ the
yellow ball of fire in
that is often introduced by scenes in their heads
the sky.
like or as. Comparison
She sells seashells by Used as a stylistic device
Characterized by a hissing the seashore. Draws emphasis when it is
s, sh, z. Conjures The shells she sells are used
Sibilance on aural impression for the surely seashells. Gives a sense of flow,
reader. Onomatopoeic So if she sells shells on reflecting the moment
effect also slows the the seashore, Can create atmosphere
reader down, alters pace. I’m sure she sells Draw the reader’s attention
seashore shells Can be used to admonish
A particular type of poem, Used to describe devotion,
very traditional, and usually love and the beauty of
only a single stanza. It is nature
always fourteen lines long. Expressing one idea
The first eight lines Explores only one incident
express one idea, the next In poetry, a sonnet has Very descriptive
siz express another or a 14 lines, and is written
Sonnet change of point of view. in iambic pentameter.
Alternating rhyming Each line has 10
couplets plus final couplet. syllables
Since it is so short, a
sonnet usually is about one
idea or only explores one
incident. As a result, it is
usually very descriptive.
Covets a particular message
for you as the writer and
affects the reader in a
particular way
The general Attitude of the narrator or
The old man took the
mood/atmosphere that is viewpoint of the character
handful of dust from
communicated in the poem, towards story events or
his farm and sniffed it
Tone often by the way in which characters
with great pleasure.
something is expressed. Narrator’s attitude towards
Controls your emotional the reader
response to the poem. Attitude towards subject
matter and reader
Poetic Devices / Techniques