Poetic Devices The Sounds of Poetry

Onomatopoeia When a word’s pronunciation imitates its sound. “Rat-a-tat” hammers the steel rim. Buzz Fizz Woof Hiss Clink Boom Beep Vroom Zip

Repetition Repeating a word or words for effect. Nobody No, nobody Can make it out here alone. Alone, all alone Nobody, but nobody

Rhythm When words are arranged in such a way that they make a pattern or beat. Words in rap songs have a certain beat or “flow” very similar to words in poems. Authors create rhythm by making lines contain the same number of syllables or by repeating the same word over and over. Hint: hum the words instead of saying them.

Count the syllables in each line. To market, to market, to buy a fat pig, ___ Home again, home again, jiggety jig. ___ To market, to market, to buy a fat hog, ___ Home again, home again, jiggety jog. ___ To market, to market, to buy a plum bun, ___ Home again, home again, market is done. ___

Rhyme When two words sound alike. Run and done rhyme with each other. Rhyme can happen at the beginning, end, or middle of lines. You can describe rhyme scheme in two ways. You can assign a letter to the sound of each line’s last word. You can also describe where the rhyming words are.

Example of rhyme scheme A castle floats on swirls of white. (A) A dragon soars with all his might.(A) A giant in a splendid pose, (B) A walrus with a silly nose. (B)

You try! Assign a letter to the rhyme scheme. Susan went to school today ____ And met a new friend, Hannah. ____ They hopped and skipped at recess ____ And split a sweet banana. ____

Internal rhyme A word inside a line rhymes with another word on the same line. Once upon a midnight dreary, while I Pondered weak and weary. Write two lines that have internal rhyme and underline the rhyming words. _________________________________

Alliteration When consonant sounds in words are repeated. Peter Piper picked a pickled pepper. We lurk late. We shoot straight.

You try! Create one or more lines of poetry that uses alliteration. Circle the alliteration! _________________________________

Assonance The repetition of vowel sounds in a line or lines of poetry. It does not have to rhyme! Ex. right, night, fine, sight, kite, Where is the assonance in the lines? The lake faded into the distance as the rain muddled our vision of its majesty. Is alliteration present?

Personification Personification is when things that aren’t alive are given human qualities. The smiling moon lit up the night sky. A person can smile, but a moon can’t.

Your turn again! Write one line of poetry using personification. ___________________________________ You’re becoming such a passionate poet!

Practice Use your power point notes and write the poetic devices used in each of the following examples of poetry. Read the example more than once!!!

1 The cuckoo in our cuckoo clock was wedded to an octopus. She laid a single wooden egg and hatched a cuckoocloctopus.

2 very little love is not so bad or very little life what counts is waiting on walls i was born for this i was born to hustle roses down the avenues of the dead.

3 Homework! Oh, homework! I hate you! You stink! I wish I could wash you away in the sink.

Answers Repetition, rhythm, rhyme, and alliteration. Alliteration, repetition Repetition, rhyme, rhythm, alliteration