Introduction to Poetry
Poetic Devices & Terms
Diamante
• A diamante poem is made up of 7 lines using a set
structure:
• Line 1: Beginning subject
• Line 2: Two describing words about line 1
• Line 3: Three doing words about line 1
• Line 4: A short phrase about line 1, a short phrase about
line 7
• Line 5: Three doing words about line 7
• Line 6: Two describing words about line 7
• Line 7: End subject
diamante poem
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Bike
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Shiny, quiet
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Pedaling, spinning, weaving
Whizzing round corners, zooming along roads
Racing, roaring, speeding
Fast, loud,
Car
The repetition of sounds End rhyme- the
last word on each line rhymes.
Example: hat, cat, brat, fat,
mat, sat
My Beard
by Shel Silverstein
My beard grows to my toes,
I never wears no clothes,
I wraps my hair
Around my bare,
And down the road I goes.
Internal rhyme- Words INSIDE the sentence rhyme.
The repetition of the initial
letter or sound in two or
more words in a line.
To the lay-person, these are called “tongue-twisters”.
Example: How much dew would a dewdrop drop if a
dewdrop did drop dew?
Betty Botter bought some butter
But she said the butter’s bitter
If I put it in my batter, it will
make my batter bitter
But a bit of better butter will
make my batter better
So ‘twas better Betty Botter
bought a bit of better butter
Alliteration
Alliteration
Let’s see what this
looks like in a poem.
These examples use the beginning sounds of words only
twice in a line, but by definition, that’s all you need.
Alliteration
She Walks in Beauty
I.
She walks in beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies;
And all that’s best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes:
Thus mellowed to that tender light
Which Heaven to gaudy day denies.
Words that spell out sounds;
words that sound like what
they mean.
Examples: growl, hiss, pop, boom, crack, ptthhhbbb.
Let’s see what this
looks like in a poem.
Noise Day
by Shel Silverstein
Let’s have one day for girls and boyses
When you can make the grandest noises.
Screech, scream, holler, and yell –
Onomatopoeia
Buzz a buzzer, clang a bell,
Sneeze – hiccup – whistle – shout,
Laugh until your lungs wear out,
Toot a whistle, kick a can,
Several other words
not highlighted could
also be considered
as onomatopoeia.
Can you find any?
Bang a spoon against a pan,
Sing, yodel, bellow, hum,
Blow a horn, beat a drum,
Rattle a window, slam a door,
Scrape a rake across the floor . . ..
A comparison between two
usually unrelated things using
the word “like” or “as”.
Examples:
Joe is as hungry as a bear.
In the morning, Rae is like an angry lion.
Simile
Ars Poetica
By Archibald MacLeish
A poem should be palpable
and mute as a globed
fruit,
Silent as the sleeve-worn
stone
Of casement ledges where
the moss has grown—
A poem should be wordless
As the flight of birds.
Simile
Let’s see
what this
looks like in a
poem.
Simile
An implied comparison between
two usually unrelated things.
Examples:
Lenny is a snake.
Ginny is a mouse when it comes to standing up for herself.
The difference between
a simile and a metaphor is
that a simile requires either
“like” or “as” to be included
in the comparison, and a
metaphor requires that
neither be used.
When it comes to using a metaphor device in
poetry, a poet can either make the entire poem a
metaphor for something, or put little metaphors
throughout the poem.
• The following poem is one big metaphor.
An exaggeration for the sake of
emphasis.
Examples:
I may sweat to death.
The blood bank needs a river of blood.
Giving human characteristics to
inanimate objects, ideas, or
animals.
Example:
The sun stretched its lazy
fingers over the valley.
What is Symbolism?
• A symbol is something that stands for itself,
but also something larger than itself.
– It may be a person, an animal, an inanimate
object, or an action
– . A writer often uses a concrete object to express an
abstract idea, a quality, or a belief.
– A symbol may appeal to a reader's emotions and can
provide a way to express an idea, communicate a
message, or clarify meaning
Mother to Son
by Langston Hughes
Well, son, I'll tell you:
Life for me ain't been no crystal stair.
It's had tacks in it,
And splinters,
And boards torn up,
And places with no carpet on the floor -Bare.
But all the time
I'se been a-climbin' on,
And reachin' landin's,
And turnin' corners,
And sometimes goin' in the dark
Where there ain't been no light.
So boy, don't you turn back.
Don't you set down on the steps
'Cause you finds it's kinder hard.
Don't you fall now -For I'se still goin', honey,
I'se still climbin',
And life for me ain't been no crystal stair.
Using words to create a picture
in the reader’s mind.
Poetry that follows no rules. Just about
anything goes.
This does not mean that it uses no devices, it just means that this
type of poetry does not follow traditional conventions such as
punctuation, capitalization, rhyme scheme, rhythm and meter, etc.
Fog
The fog comes
on little cat feet.
It sits looking
over harbor and city
on silent haunches
and then, moves on.
No Rhyme
No Rhythm
No Meter
This is
free verse.
A reference to another piece of literature or
to history.
Example: “She hath Dian’s wit” (from Romeo and Juliet).
This is an allusion to Roman mythology and the
goddess Diana.
The three most common types of allusion refer to
mythology, the Bible, and Shakespeare’s writings.
Rhythm
Rhythm is the flow of the
beat in a poem.
Gives poetry a musical feel.
Can be fast or slow,
depending on mood and
subject of poem.
You can measure rhythm in
meter, by counting the beats
in each line.
Rhythm Example
The Pickety Fence by David McCord
The pickety fence
The pickety fence
Give it a lick it's
The pickety fence
Give it a lick it's
A clickety fence
Give it a lick it's a lickety fence
Give it a lick
Give it a lick
Give it a lick
With a rickety stick
pickety
pickety
pickety
pick.
The rhythm in this poem is fast –
to match the speed of the stick
striking the fence.
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Rhythm Example
Where Are You Now?
When the night begins to fall
And the sky begins to glow
You look up and see the tall
City of lights begin to grow –
In rows and little golden squares
The lights come out. First here, then there
Behind the windowpanes as though
A million billion bees had built
Their golden hives and honeycombs
Above you in the air.
The rhythm in this poem is
slow – to match the night
gently falling and the
lights slowly coming on.
By Mary Britton Miller
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Imagery
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Imagery is the use of words
to create pictures, or images,
in your mind.
Appeals to the five senses:
smell, sight, hearing, taste
and touch.
Details about smells, sounds,
colors, and taste create
strong images.
To create vivid images
writers use figures of speech.
Five Senses
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Lines and Stanzas
• Most poems are
written in lines.
• A group of lines in
a poem is called a
stanza.
• Stanzas separate
ideas in a poem.
They act like
paragraphs.
• This poem has two
stanzas.
March
A blue day
A blue jay
And a good beginning.
One crow,
Melting snow –
Spring’s winning!
By
Eleanor Farjeon
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Free Verse
• A free verse poem
does not use rhyme or
patterns.
• Can vary freely in
length of lines,
stanzas, and subject.
Revenge
When I find out
who took
the last cooky
out of the jar
and left
me a bunch of
stale old messy
crumbs, I'm
going to take
me a handful
and crumb
up someone's bed.
By Myra Cohn Livingston
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Mood
• Mood is the atmosphere, or
emotion, in the poem
created by the poet.
• Can be happy, angry, silly,
sad, excited, fearful or
thoughtful.
• Poet uses words and
images to create mood.
• Author’s purpose helps
determine mood.
• (See slides 65-72 for
examples.)
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Mood - Barefoot Days
Barefoot Days by Rachel Field
In the morning, very early,
That’s the time I love to go
Barefoot where the fern grows curly
And grass is cool between each toe,
On a summer morning-O!
On a summer morning!
That is when the birds go by
Up the sunny slopes of air,
And each rose has a butterfly
Or a golden bee to wear;
And I am glad in every toe –
Such a summer morning-O!
Such a summer morning!
The mood in this poem is
happy. What clues in the
poem can you use to
determine the mood?
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Mood - Mad Song
Mad Song
I shut my door
To keep you out
Won’t do no good
To stand and shout
Won’t listen to
A thing you say
Just time you took
Yourself away
I lock my door
To keep me here
Until I’m sure
You disappear.
The mood in this poem is
angry. What clues in the
poem can you use to
determine the mood?
By Myra Cohn Livingston
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Mood - Poem
Poem
I loved my friend.
He went away from me.
There’s nothing more to say.
The poem ends,
Soft as it began –
I loved my friend:
By Langston Hughes
The mood in this poem is
sad. What clues in the
poem can you use to
determine the mood?
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Diction
• Diction refers to the language of a poem, and how
each word is chosen to convey a precise meaning.
• Poets are very deliberate in choosing each word for
its particular effect,
• It's important to know the denotation and
connotations of the words in a poem, not to
mention their literal meaning, too.
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Diction
• Example:
• T.S. Eliot, "Burnt Norton
"Words strain,
Crack and sometimes break, under the burden,
Under the tension, slip, slide, perish,
Decay with imprecision, will not stay in place,
Will not stay still.”
Notice the choice of harsh words like “burden” and “strain”.
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Tone is the attitude writers
take towards their subject .
Would this poem have a
different meaning for the
reader if the tone was
changed?
What is an Irregular Ode Poem?
• An Irregular Ode is a poem with meter and
rhyme just like all other odes but has no
set pattern. Each line rhymes somewhere
throughout.
• Ode To Spring
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(a) Oh ! Glorious Spring, how amazing you are
(b) You are both Truth's beauty and light
(a) You travel far
(b) Yet always remain bright
(c) Baby lambs greet you with a bleat
(d) Birds fly stretching their wings
(c) Lovers on a seat
(d) We are truly thankful for what you bring
(e) Spring never leave
(f) Oh but can I compare
(g) How I feel when you're near?
(g) Spreading your joy to those so dear
(h) Spring we celebrate your birth
(h) And we mourn each year you leave this Earth
Oh Spring!
Don’t Confuse Tone & Mood!
*Tone and mood are two different aspects
of a poem!
* Tone is the author's or the poet's attitude
towards his or her subject.
*Mood is how the poem makes the reader or the
listener feel.
Reading for Meaning
• To find meaning in a poem, readers ask questions as they read. There
are many things to pay attention to when reading a poem:
Title – Provides clues about – topic, mood, speaker, author’s purpose?
Rhythm – Fast or slow? Why?
Sound Devices – What effects do they have?
Imagery – What pictures do we make in our minds?
Figures of Speech – What do they tell us about the subject?
Voice – Who is speaking - poet or character; one voice or more?
Author’s Purpose – Sending message, sharing feelings, telling story,
being funny, being descriptive?
Mood – Happy, sad, angry, thoughtful, silly, excited, frightened?
Plot – What is happening in the poem?
Remember, to make meaning, readers must make connections and tap
into their background knowledge and prior experiences as they read.
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• What is a Rhyming Couplet?
A Rhyming Couplet is two line of
the same length that rhyme and
complete one thought. There is no
limit to the length of the lines.
Rhyming words are words that
sound the same when spoken,
they don't necessarily have to be
spelt the same.
• The wind blew very strong - As we
scurried along
• Plastic snake - Very fake
• In the morning the sun shone bright Clearing the thoughts of the dark night
What is a Quatrain?
• A Quatrain is a stanza of four lines.
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He drew a circle that shut me out -Heretic, rebel, a thing to flout.
But Love and I had the wit to win:
We drew a circle that took him in.
What is a Cinquain?
• A cinquain poem is a verse of five
lines that do not rhyme. The cinquain
poem was created by Adelaide
Crapsey.
• Each line has a set number of syllables
see below:
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Line 1: 2 syllables
Line 2: 4 syllables
Line 3: 6 syllables
Line 4: 8 syllables
Line 5: 2 syllables
EXAMPLE
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My mum (2 syllables)
Is so caring (4 syllables)
She is always helpful (6 syllables)
She is so beautiful and kind (8 syllables)
Love you. (2 syllables)
What is an Echo Verse
Poem?
An Echo Verse is when the
last word or syllable in a line is
repeated or echoed
underneath to form a rhyming
line, normally ending as the
last line being the title to the
poem.
Example of an Echo Verse
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What is this that falls from the sky?
Echo - I
Do you live above the thunder?
Echo - Under
Are you cold white snow?
Echo - No
You don’t fall quietly from the cloud
Echo - Loud
You hit the ground with a spatter
Echo - Patter
You journey from the sky to the drain
Echo - Rain
Ottava Rima Poem
• An Ottava Rima is an Italian
poem made up of eight lines
that rhyme. Each line consists
of eleven syllables.
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example of an Ottava Rima
Poem
Quickly did the tiger begin his fast run
Over hilly ground you see him fly and leap
The passive prey laying grazing in the sun
Suddenly its life that it wanted to keep
Tiger pounces, quickly getting the job done
The prey collapsing in a really big heap
Tiger sleeps as night takes over from the day
Will we ever see the hunter become prey?
Riddle Poem
• A Riddle is a type of poem that describes something
without actually naming what it is, leaving the reader to
guess. A Riddle is a light hearted type of poetry which
involves the reader.
• Riddles can be about anything, from Riddles about
animals to Riddles about objects. There are no rules on
how to structure a Riddle poem, a Riddle can be funny or
it can rhyme, it depends on the person writing the Riddle.
Example of a Riddle Poem
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It is an animal
It is orange and black
it has stripes
It has four paws
It lives in the jungle
What is it?
A tiger
a Rondeau Poem
• A Rondeau is a short poem consisting of
fifteen lines that have two rhymes
throughout. The first few words or phrase
from the first line are repeated twice in the
poem as a refrain.
Example of a Rondeau Poem
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The capital A is the refrain and sentence it is taken from
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(a) In Summertime we do not go
(a) To school for weeks and weeks, no no!
(b) We take a day trip to the beach
(b) And buy ourselves an ice cream each
(a) We run into the surf that's low
(a) Get seaweed wrapped around our toes
(a) While others sunbathe on a throw
(b) We build sandcastles tides can't reach
(A) In Summertime.
(a) As the light warm breeze begins to blow
(a) And our hunger begins to grow
(b) From the picnic I grab a peach
(b) 'Let's stay longer' I do beseech
(a) As the sun sets the sky does glow
(A) In Summertime.