1. Poetry Notes Part 2 Poetic Devices The technique behind the words

2. Figurative Language  What is figurative language? Language using figures of speech (a way of saying one thing and meaning another)  Why use it? Figurative language helps a writer show meaning and expression. If a writer does not create an image in the reader ’ s mind, he will lose the reader ’ s attention.

3. Simile  A figure of speech that creates a comparison between two things usually unalike. The comparison is made by using such words or phrases as like, as, than, similar to, resembles, appears, or seems.  EX: “ Her eyes are like stars! ”  “ Life is like a box of chocolate. ”

4. Metaphor  A figure of speech that creates a comparison between two things usually unalike. Doesn ’ t use connective words such as like or as.  EX: “ Her eyes are jewels! ” “ Life is a game. ”

5. Personification  is giving human traits (qualities, feelings, action, or characteristics) to non-living objects (things, colors, qualities, or ideas).  EX: “ The diamonds are jealous of your beauty! ”  "The wind whispered through the night."

6. Alliteration  Is the repeated sound of the first consonant in a series of multiple words, or the repetition of the same sounds at the beginning of words.  EX: “Seattle Seahwaks”  “Tim taught gym class every Tuesday”

7. Stanza  A stanza is a group of lines that act like sentences. The sentences combine together to make stanzas, or paragraphs, of poetry.

8. Repetition  Poets can utilize this technique to repeat sounds, vowels, consonants, words, single lines, or in fact whole stanzas. This repetition can help create images and feelings for the reader.  EX: “ Quoth the Raven, ‘ Nevermore. ’ ”

9. Rhyme Scheme  The pattern established by the arrangement of rhymes in a stanza or poem, generally described by using letters of the alphabet to denote the recurrence of rhyming lines, such as the ababbcc  I put a piece of cantaloupea  Underneath the microscopea  I saw a million strange things sleepen ’ b  I saw a zillion weird things creepen ’ b