1. Poetic Techniques How Writing Becomes Poetry

2. Alliteration The repeating of beginning consonant sounds ◦ Betsy’s Barbie doll baked on the big bureau by the bay window ◦ Alliteration can help a writer create mood, rhythm, make one laugh, or make one remember

3. Hyperbole An outrageous exaggeration that emphasizes a point, and can be ridiculous or funny “You snore louder than a freight train.” “My parents are going to kill me.” Hyperbole adds color and depth to ideas and descriptions

4. Line Breaks Point at which one line of poetry ends and another begins The woods are lovely, dark and deep But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep. Line breaks help to create and establish a rhythm and give the poem its shape.

5. Meter The rhythm or “pattern of accented and unaccented syllables” in the lines of a poem Whose woods these are I think I know. His house is in the village though;

6. Metaphor A comparison between two unlike ideas or objects “time is a thief,” “you are my sunshine,” “my father is a rock” These don’t make literal sense until you can understand the connection between the two items Help create images and appeal to one or more of the senses

7. Onomatopoeia Words that sound like their meaning or mimic sounds “The burning wood hissed and crackled.” Onomatopoeia adds a level of fun and reality to writing

8. Personification Gives human characteristics to animals, inanimate objects, or ideas “The sun greeted me this morning” “The radio stopped singing and stared at me” Affects the way a reader imagines ideas

9. Rhyme Repetition of sounds in a word ◦ End rhyme—rhyming of words at the end of a line Aunt Jennifer’s tigers prance across a screen, Bright topaz denizens of a world of green. ◦ Internal rhyme—rhyming of words within a line Jack Sprat could eat no fat; his wife could eat no lean

10. Simile A comparison between two unlike ideas and uses the words, “like,” or “as.” “We were as quiet as mice.” “Her eyes were like blue ocean pools.” Similes add imagery and appeal to one or more of the senses

11. Symbolism When a word has a meaning in itself, but is used to represent something different American flag = patriotism, freedom Apple = education Emphasizes important ideas; creates images