Some poetic devices/figures of Speech (stijlfiguren) in popular songs
Personification:
The attribution (= toekenning) of human form or other
characteristics to anything other than a human being.
Alliteration:
Repeating the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent
or closely connected words.
Onomatopoeia:
means.
Word that sounds the same as, or similar to what the word
Allusion:
A figure of speech that makes a reference to, or a representation
of, people, places, events, literary work, myths, or works of art, either directly or by
implication.
Imagery:
The author's use of vivid (= levendige) and descriptive (=
beschrijvend / omschrijvend) language to add depth to their work. It appeals to
human senses to deepen the reader's understanding of the work.
Listening/viewing Task:
You are going to listen to five songs. Try to link each song to one of the figures of
speech (see above). Support your answer by writing down the words/examples that
led you to your answer.
Use the answering sheet on the next page!
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Student Answering Sheet
Daft Punk> figure of speech: ____________________
Proof found in song:
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
Bakermat> figure of speech: ____________________
Proof found in song:
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
Katy Perry> figure of speech: ____________________
Proof found in song:
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
LL Cool J> figure of speech: ____________________
Proof found in song:
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
Owl City> figure of speech: ____________________
Proof found in song:
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
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Key for teachers:
The goal of this task is to make poetry, use of poetic devices/figures of speech more
accessible to students.


Make sure to start the videos before starting this task because of commercial
ads.
Is might very well be that students have other answers than the ones
mentioned in this key. E.g. Katy Perry’s song is filled to the brim with poetic
devices / figures of speech.
Daft Punk: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXEJjtBouRA Alliteration
0.00-1.47
Examples:
-
Like … legend
Force from
Who we …
She (‘till… the) … sun … some
Gift … giving
Want … with
Bakermat: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzCWGGG2gQc Allusion
0.00-1.40
Examples:
-
Of course the legendary speech of Martin Luther King: I have a dream
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgYzJGmBXU8
Katy Perry: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9p_wNe9OtG8 Imagery
0.00-2.45
Examples:
-
Feel like a plastic bag in the wind (the wind)
So thin like a house of cards one blow from caving in (blown at)
Feel buried deep six feet under screams (a sense of being locked up)
A lightning bolt, your heart will glow (you can see a lightning bolt glow)
Of course there’s also alliteration in this song:
-
Wind … wanting
Cards … caving
Screams … seems
That … there’s
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2.44 you can hear boom boom boom: which is of course onomatopoeia
Other devices in this song (though not mentioned) simile comparing one thing with
another using like or as) : like a plastic bag… like a house of cards
metaphor (comparing one thing with another w/o using like or as): you’re a firework
LL Cool J: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbW3AmaVPgk Onomatopoeia
0.00-2.20
-
Hear the bass goes BOOM
Watch me BASH this beat
My jammy might go BLAAAW (according to the urban dictionary a jammy is
colloquial for gun, penis, pj’s: in this case it’s probably a gun :)
I’m BLASTIN
Owl City: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=feLAm3LdN9g Personification
0.00-2.32
-
The fireflies leave teardrops
These bugs are giving him hugs
They try to teach him how to dance
Fireflies thing the singer is weird
They say farewell to him
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