Poetic Devices

Figurative Language (affects the meaning of the poem)

DEVICE DEFINITION EXAMPLE

Hyperbole A figure of speech which uses extreme I'll never get this fishing line untangled in
exaggeration. This figure of speech, a million years!
which should not be confused with
ironies and paradoxes, links two op- "I’ve told you a million times!"
posing ideas at once. This indicates
that two opposing concepts are utilised "I am so hungry, I could eat a horse."
inside a single sentence to create lev-
ity in an oxymoron figure of speech.

An exaggerated statement for effect,

not meant to be taken literally. It is the
usage of exaggerated terms in order to
emphasise or heighten the effect of some-
thing.

Imagery The mental impression summoned up "The golden rays of the sun bathed the
by a word, phrase or sentence. It valley in warmth."
suggests to the reader what to think
and feel. The autumn leaves are a blanket on the
ground.
Descriptive language that appeals to
the senses.

Metaphor A figure of speech that compares two Life is a banana cream pie.
or more things with a similar quality
and does not use “like” or “as”. One Time is money.
thing is said to be another.

As a figure of speech is a poetic

device, a metaphor is used in order to
draw a comparison between unrelated
things in an implicit or hidden way.
Or, this is used when a poet tries to
resemble two opposite things or
objects on the basis of some common
characteristics.
Oxymoron A device where seemingly opposite 1.Ms. Smith always tries to “act
words are placed together for effect. naturally,” especially when her students
are being “seriously funny.”
Two opposite ideas are joined to cre-
ate an effect. 2. "Bitter sweet."
Personification When an inanimate object or abstract 1. The leaves “danced” in the wind. The
image is given human qualities or tree “screamed” under the saw blade. It
abilities. was a “strutting” sort of blue.

2. The moon smiled down at us as we

walked through the quiet streets.
 Amongst all the poetic devices, per-
sonification is a simple one to under-
stand. As the name suggests, you
need to personify inanimate objects or
plants animals or any other living be-
ings with human qualities thus trans-
forming your poetry into lively and
filled with imagery and description.

Simile A figure of speech that compares two He was as excited as a kid at Christmas.
things by using “like” or “as.” He looked like a Jack-in-the-box the way
he kept jumping up.
Pun A pun is a form of wordplay that Kings worry about a receding heir line.
exploits the multiple meanings of a
word or words that sound similar but "Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a
have different meanings. It is often banana."
used for humorous or witty effect.

 Pun plays with the dual meanings

or similar sounds of words to create a
humorous twist or a double meaning.
 It can be based on homophones
(words that sound alike but have
different meanings) or on the multiple
meanings of a word.

Auditory Devices (affect the sound of the poem)

DEVICE DEFINITION EXAMPLE

Alliteration The repetition of initial sounds in Ms. Smith's English class causes her
words within a line or verse of poetry. confusion.

The repetition of initial consonant

sounds in nearby words. “She sells seashells by the sea-
shore.”
Sometimes, alliteration perfectly
fits in tongue twisters.
Assonance Repetition of the same vowel sound in She lived in the hills.
a line of poetry. It is often used to
slow the pace of poetry. Repetition of
vowel sounds within words close to "The rain in Spain stays mainly in the
each other. plain."

Onomatopoeia The use of words which suggest their The bees “buzz” the clock “tick tocks” the
meaning when pronounced. Words snake “hisses”
that imitate sounds.
"The bees buzzed around the garden."

Onomatopoeia is a poetic device Here, "buzzed" imitates the sound that

where a word imitates or mimics the bees make, giving the reader an auditory
natural sound of a thing. The word's
 pronunciation is similar to the sound it sense of the scene.
represents, making the description
more expressive and vivid.

Onomatopoeia helps the reader to hear

the sound being described, bringing
the action to life. It is often used in po-
etry and literature to create an auditory
experience.
Repetition Repetition is a poetic device that The phrase “I took the one less traveled
involves the deliberate use of the same by” is repeated in the last stanza, where it
word or phrase multiple times emphasizes the significance of the
throughout a poem or a section of text. speaker’s choice and its impact on their
This technique is often employed to life.
create emphasis, enhance rhythm, or
reinforce a particular theme or idea.
Rhyme Two words which end with identical From "The Road Not Taken" by Robert
sounds (rhyme depends on sound, not Frost:
spelling)
"Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
Rhyme is the repetition of similar And sorry I could not travel both,
sounding words at the end of lines in And be one traveler, long I stood,
poems or songs. Rhyming words often And looked down one as far as I could."
have the same vowel sounds and end
consonants, creating a musical effect Here, "wood" and "stood" rhyme, creating
that enhances the flow and rhythm of a sense of harmony and flow in the poem.
the poem.

Stanza A group of lines which form a division The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,
of a poem. But I have promises to keep,
A stanza is a grouped set of lines in a And miles to go before I sleep,
poem, often separated by a space, And miles to go before I sleep.
functioning similarly to a paragraph in — From "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy
prose. Stanzas usually share the same Evening" by Robert Frost
rhyme scheme, meter, or rhythm. This is a four-line stanza, also known as a
quatrain.

Consonance Consonance is a poetic device where "The lumpy, bumpy road stretched far be-
there is the repetition of consonant yond the hill."
sounds within or at the end of words
in a sentence or phrase. It differs from In this sentence, the "mp" sound in
alliteration in that the repeated "lumpy" and "bumpy" is repeated, creat-
consonant sounds can occur anywhere ing consonance.
within the words, not just at the
beginning.
Symbolism Symbolism is a poetic device in which Excerpt: "O my Luve is like a red, red
a word, phrase, character, or object rose / That’s newly sprung in June."
represents a larger idea or concept. It In this example, the rose symbolizes the
conveys deeper meanings and speaker's feelings of love and admiration,
emotions beyond the literal adding emotional depth to the poem.
 interpretation.
Enjambment Enjambment is a poetic device where "April is the cruelest month, breeding / Lilacs
a sentence or phrase continues beyond out of the dead land, mixing / Memory and de-
the end of a line, couplet, or stanza sire, stirring / Dull roots with spring rain."
without a pause or break. This
technique creates a sense of movement In this example, the thought flows from one
and can enhance the rhythm of the line to the next without a pause, which creates
a continuous flow of ideas and enhances the
poem.
poem's rhythm and meaning.

Types of Poems

Narrative The story-line of the poem. A narrative poem is a poem written to tell a particular story.
IE: ballad, tale, romance, epic
Ballad A narrative poem, originally composed to be sung. A ballad often tells of a single
dramatic episode.
Lyric A short poem expressing a personal feeling, emotion, or attitude about some topic.

Concrete Verse A poem in which the shape of the poem contributes to its meaning.

Elegy A song or poem that expresses sorrow or lamentation, usually for one who has died.

Parody A comic imitation of a serious poem.

Ode A poem on an exalted theme, expressed in a dignified, sincere language, serious in tone,
and usually in praise of something or somebody.

Types of Verse

Blank Verse A form of verse written in iambic pentameter and is not rhymed. This form is common in
Shakespeare.

Free Verse A poem that does not have a pattern of line and meter. Anything goes!