POETIC DEVICES
Simile: a figure of speech involving the comparison of one thing with another thing of a different kind,
used to make a description more emphatic or vivid (e.g. as brave as a lion ).
While most similes use the connecting words "like" or "as" to establish the comparison they're making,
similes can use other words that create a direct comparison, including other connecting words (such as,
"so" or "than") or verbs of comparison (such as, "compare" and "resemble").
Metaphor: a figure of speech that makes an implicit, implied, or hidden comparison between two things
that are unrelated, but which share some common characteristics (e.g. War is the mother of all battles).
Personification: the attribution of a personal nature or human characteristics to something non-human,
or the representation of an abstract quality in human form (e.g. The first rays of morning tiptoed
through the meadow).
Alliteration: the occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely
connected words (e.g. sweet birds sang)
Symbolism: the use of symbols to signify ideas and qualities, by giving them symbolic meanings that are
different from their literal sense (e.g. a heart is a symbol for love or passion).
Imagery: use figurative language to represent objects, actions, and ideas in such a way that it appeals to
our physical senses (e.g. He whiffed the aroma of brewed coffee).
Repetition: a literary device that repeats the same words or phrases a few times to make an idea clearer
and more memorable (e.g. “It was many and many a year ago,
In a kingdom by the sea,
That a maiden there lived whom you may know …
I was a child and she was a child,
In this kingdom by the sea).
Irony: a figure of speech in which words are used in such a way that their intended meaning is different
from the actual meaning of the words. It may also be a situation that ends up in quite a different way
than what is generally anticipated (e.g. The name of Britain’s biggest dog was Tiny).
Rhyme Scheme: A rhyme scheme is the pattern of rhymes at the end of each line of a poem or song. It
is usually referred to by using letters to indicate which lines rhyme; lines designated with the same letter
all rhyme with each other.
(An example of the ABAB rhyming scheme:
Bid me to weep, and I will weep
While I have eyes to see
And having none, yet I will keep
A
B
A
A heart to weep for thee
B
)
Oxymoron: a figure of speech in which apparently contradictory terms appear in conjunction (e.g. faith
unfaithful kept him falsely true ).
Onomatopoeia: a word which imitates the natural sounds of a thing \9e.g. splash, buzz, thump etc).
Hyperbole: exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally (e.g. I have a million things
to do today)
Satire: Satire is a technique employed by writers to expose and criticize foolishness and corruption of an
individual or a society, by using humor, irony, exaggeration or ridicule (e.g. “What’s the use you learning
to do right, when it’s troublesome to do right and isn’t no trouble to do wrong, and the wages is just the
same?”)
Mood: a literary element that evokes certain feelings or vibes in readers through words and
descriptions (e.g. gloomy, peaceful, tragic, humorous etc).
TONE: the tone of a literary work is the effect that the writer creates on the readers through choice of
writing style. The overall objective is to express an attitude or certain feelings about the subject matter.
ASSONANCE: Assonance takes place when two or more words, close to one another repeat the same
vowel sound, but start with different consonant sounds. e.g We light fire on the mountain.
PUN: A pun is a joke that makes a play on words. A pun makes use of words that have more than one
meaning, or words that sound similar but have different meanings, to humorous effect. The rhetorical
term for punning is paronomasia, which literally means "to call a different name." e.g. I was struggling to
figure out how lightning works, but then it struck me.
Consonance: Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in the middle or end of a word. While
consonance is generally used less frequently than assonance, divas (and boy bands) still utilize
consonance to create catchy lyrics. e.g. Don’t pay him any attention.” The “n” sound in don’t and any
Allegory. An allegory is a story that can be read in two ways: with a literal meaning on the surface,
and a hidden meaning underneath that comments on a political or social situation. e.g. The Phantom
Toll booth