ELEMENTS OF POETRY
SOUND DEVICES &
FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE
Poetic Form
A poem’s form is its shape or what it looks like.
Poems are divided into lines.
Lines are usually grouped into stanzas.
Stanzas function like paragraphs in a story.
The stanza in poetry is equivalent or equal to the paragraph in
prose. Often the lines in a stanza will have a specific rhyme
scheme. Some of the more common stanzas are:
Couplet: a two line stanza
Triplet: a three line stanza
Quatrain: a four line stanza
Cinquain: a five line stanza
Patterns of sound
Alliteration
Rhyme scheme
Onomatopoeia
Repetition
Assonance
Consonance
Alliteration
Alliteration is a literary device that repeats a speech sound in a
sequence of words that are close to each other. Alliteration uses
consonant sounds at the beginning of a word to give stress to its
syllable. This technique plays a crucial role in poetry by lending a
strong rhythm and musical structure to any verse.
Rhyme Scheme
The pattern of end rhymes (of lines) in a poem.
Letters are used to identify a poem’s rhyme
scheme
The letter a is placed after the first line and all
lines that rhyme with the first line.
The letter b identifies the next line ending with a
new sound, and all lines that rhyme with it.
Letters continue to be assigned in sequence to
lines containing new ending sounds.
Rhyme Scheme
The repetition of same or similar sounds, usually in stressed
syllables at the end of a line. Not all poetry has a rhyme
scheme. They are not hard to identify, but you must look
carefully at which words rhyme and which do not.
The way a crow A
Shook down on me B
The dust of snow A
From a hemlock tree B
Has given my heart C
A change of mood D
And save some part C
Of a day I had rued. D
Rhyme Scheme
Twinkle, twinkle little star a
How I wonder what you are. a
Up above the earth so high, b
Like a diamond in the sky. b
Baa, baa, black sheep a
Have you any wool? b
Yes sir, yes sir, c
Three bags full. b
Repetition
The repeating of certain sounds or words to create a certain effect.
Poets often repeat words to emphasize their importance.
Time after time
Heart to heart
Boys will be boys
Hand in hand
Get ready; get set; go
Hour to hour
Sorry, not sorry
Over and over
Home sweet home
Smile, smile, smile at your mind as often as possible.
Alone, alone at last
Now you see me; now you don’t
Rain, rain go away
All for one and one for all
It is what it is
Onomatopoeia
Onomatopoeia is a figure of speech in which words evoke the actual sound of
the thing they refer to or describe. The “boom” of a firework exploding, the
“tick tock” of a clock, and the “ding dong” of a doorbell are all examples of
onomatopoeia.
Consonance
Repetition of internal or ending consonant
sounds of words close together in poetry.
Example:
I dropped the locket in the
thick muck
FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE
Whenever you describe something by comparing it
with something else, you are using figurative
language. The most common figures of speech are
simile, metaphor, and personification, hyperbole
and imagery. Figurative language is used in poetry
to compare two things that are usually not thought
of as being alike.
Imagery
Imagery
Simile
A simile is a figure of speech in which two essentially
unlike things are compared, often in a phrase
introduced by like or as.
The clouds looked like cotton candy.
My friend was as stubborn as a mule
Tom's head is as hard as a rock.
Metaphor
A metaphor is a figure of speech in which an implied
comparison is made between two unlike things that
actually have something important in common.
Clouds are cotton candy. They are fluffy.
Tom is a rock. They are hard.
Personification
A figure of speech, which gives the qualities of a
person to an animal, an object, or an idea is called
personification. It is a comparison, which the author
uses to show something in an entirely new light.
A brave handsome tree fell with a creaking rending cry.
Hyperbole
a figure of speech that is an intentional
exaggeration for emphasis or comic effect.
Hyperbole is common in love poetry, in
which it is used to convey the lover's
intense admiration for his beloved.
Kinds of poetry
1)Narrative
Tells a story.
Does not have to have a rhyme scheme or
rhythm but can if the author chooses.
No set number of lines, stanzas, or syllables.
2)Lyric
Expresses the thoughts and
feelings of the author.
Does not have to rhyme but HAS TO
have a musical quality.
No rules about length or lines.
3)SONNET
Expresses the thoughts and emotions of the
author.
*Specific Rhyme Schemes.
Always 14 lines long. (octet 8 lines and sestet
6 lines)
Shakespearian sonnet 3 quatrains and a heroic
couplet
4)Ballad
A long, narrative poem that tells a story similar to
a folk tale or legend.
Rhyme is not required.
Contains repeated refrains because it is a song.
(refrain: lines that repeat for added emphasis)
5)Haiku
A Japanese poem about nature or the seasons.
Does not rhyme.
3 lines:
5 syllables
7 syllables
5 syllables
I walk across sand
And find myself blistering
In the hot, hot heat
CONCRETE POEM
