Poetic devices and terms Poetry in action

alliteration Example Sally sells sea shells down by the sea shore. The “s” sound and the “sh” sound are repeated. Definition Repetition of an initial consonant sound

Assonance Example And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side Of my darling, my darling, my life and my bride. Definition Similar sounding vowel sounds in nearby words

Connotation Example The word chicken has many connotations in our society: one of them is being a coward. Definition The images, associations, ideas, and feelings that we as a culture have given to a word.

Diction Example If the author feels positively about a topic, he/she will use words that have a positive feel to them. The author chooses his/her words to create the tone and mood. Definition The author’s word choice Determines tone and mood

End rhyme Example Whose woods these are I think I know, His house is in the village, though; He will not see me stopping here To watch his woods fill up with snow. Definition When the words at the end of the lines sound the same/rhyme

Figurative language Example Personification is one aspect of figurative language. We don’t really think that clocks have hands to do things with. Definition Language that is not meant to be taken literally. It is used to make a point.

hyperbole Example This PowerPoint is the best PowerPoint in the whole wide world! Definition Extreme exaggeration

Imagery Example The sun shone with a light the color of blazing butter and warmed the earth like a fuzzy blanket. Definition Writing that appeals to the senses

A comparison that does not use like or as. One thing is another. Definition A comparison that does not use like or as. One thing is another. Example Ms. Brang is a clown! Metaphor

The way the reader feels as he/she reads a work Example Definition The way the reader feels as he/she reads a work Example It was a dark and stormy night when the escaped murderer stealthily entered the unlocked back door…. Mood

Word that imitates the sound of the word it represents Examples Definition Word that imitates the sound of the word it represents Examples Boom, Bam, Zoom, Screech Onomatopoeia

Figure of speech that seems to contradict each other Examples Definition Figure of speech that seems to contradict each other Examples Jumbo shrimp Wicked nice Biggie Smalls oxymoron

Giving human qualities to inanimate objects Example Definition Giving human qualities to inanimate objects Example The flowers danced in the wind. Personification

Poetry is nearer to vital truth than history. ~Plato Definition a form of literature in which language is used for its aesthetic and powerful qualities Poetry is nearer to vital truth than history.  ~Plato Poetry

Definition Like the chorus of a song, it is a chunk of the poem that is repeated. Usually either a stanza, a few lines, or a line Example The proper way to use refrain? Say it once and then again. Sometimes a poet repeats an expression. In order to make a lasting impression Refrain

Is the pattern of rhyme in a poem Shakespearean sonnets have the following rhyme scheme Abab Cdcd Efef Gg The last word of the first and second lines will rhyme-end rhyme! Rhyme scheme

The musical quality , the beat, the flow, the feel of a poem, also known as the measure, created through rhyme, repetition, refrain, and syllables Just like some songs are fast and some are slow, poems have various rhythms. rhythm

A comparison of two unlike things that uses like or as Definition A comparison of two unlike things that uses like or as Example The haughty girl’s tone of voice was cold as the icicles hanging from the snow covered roof top. Simile

Definition The perspective from which a poem is told. The speaker and the author are not necessarily the same…in fact they are usually different. Example If you are teenage girl but you want to write a poem from the point of view or perspective of the president of the United States, you can! You just create a speaker for the poem. speaker

Quatrain Tercet Couplet A group of lines in a poem Quatrain May had a little quatrain Poetic lines of four She shared it with her poet friends Who all cried out for more. Tercet Stanzas come in three lines The verses may stand alone Like haiku (bless you!) Couplet A pair of lines That typically rhyme Shakespearean sonnets are broken down into three quatrains and a couplet. stanza

Definition When something stands for something else Example The symbols of America are the flag, the eagle, and the Statue of Liberty. Symbol

One of the themes of Romeo and Juliet is the lure of forbidden fruit. Definition The central message of a story that transcends time, culture, people, space. The message is usually expressed in a sentence. Example One of the themes of Romeo and Juliet is the lure of forbidden fruit. Theme

The author’s tone is communicated through his or her diction. Definition The author’s attitude towards the subject, the overall feel of the work Example The author’s tone is communicated through his or her diction. Tone