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Poetic Devices
Mr. Wornell’s GR8LA Class
Alliteration
(Sound)
• The repetition of the first
consonant sound in a word.
– Sally sold seashells by the seashore.
– Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled
peppers.
Assonance
(Sound)
• The repetition of vowel sounds in
a series of words.
– The fat cat was wearing a miniature
hat as he lay down on the mat.
– Mike rides his bike to the store for a
bag of rice.
Rhyme
(Sound)
• The repetition of ending sounds in
words.
– What luck Chuck had that he didn’t
wreck his truck.
– Chad was a very sad lad.
Onomatopoeia (Sound)
• The use of words which imitate
sound.
– Crack, pop, buzz, fizzle
• When writing, italicize onomatopoeias
when you want them to represent the
sound.
– Honk! Beep! Jan placed her hands over her
ears while her mother drove through the
traffic, so she wouldn’t have to listen to the
harsh sounds of car horns.
Simile
(Figurative Language)
• A comparison between two
objects using "like", "as", or
"than”.
– Todd was like a bull in a china shop.
– Amy was as quite as a mouse.
– Dennis is quicker than a cheetah.
• Can you write a simile about yourself?
Metaphor
(Figurative Language)
• A comparison between two
dissimilar objects. Usually the
words “is”, “are”, or “was” are
used.
– The track coach complained that
Tara was a turtle and shouldn’t be on
the team.
– “You are no Van Gogh,” my art
teacher said to me.
• Can you write a metaphor of your own?
Personification
(Figurative Language)
• Giving inanimate or non-living
objects human characteristics.
– The trees danced in the wind.
– The wind spoke to me and told me
that rain was on the way.
• Write a sentence using personification.
Idiom
(Figurative Language)
• An expression that is particular to
a group of people or culture.
Idioms are NOT literal.
– It’s raining cats and dogs.
– Why the long face?
– Break a leg.
– If you jump the gun, you’re going to
get shot in the foot.
• Can you name another idiom?
– Helpful idiom site:
http://www.usingenglish.com/reference/idioms/.
Hyperbole
(Figurative Language)
• A hyperbole is an exaggeration or
overstatement. It is often meant
to be humorous.
– I caught a fish that was as big as me!
– He inhaled the sandwich.
• FYI: “Yo Mama” jokes are hyperboles!
Understatement
(Figurative Language)
• Downplaying a situation.
– Understatement is the opposite of
hyperbole.
• Jan reassured her mother that the
gaping wound on her leg was just a
scratch.
Oxymoron
• A figure of speech that combines
two words with opposite
meanings.
– Even the word oxymoron is an
oxymoron: oxy is Greek for “sharp”
and moron is Greek for “dull”.
• Jumbo shrimp, act naturally, calm
storm, cold sweat, good grief
– Can you think of an oxymoron?
» http://www.oxymoronlist.com/
Imagery
• Eliciting images in the reader’s
mind through sensory and
concrete details.
– The young freckled boy creeps
through the freshly mown yard with
his sleek, black Colt BB gun in
hopes of shooting the plump blue jay
sitting on the log fence.
Repetition
• The technique of repeating
important lines, words, or phrases
of a poem for effect.
– It is similar to a refrain in a song.
• Read “We Wear the Mask” to see
repetition in action.
Structure
• Line: similar to a sentence in
poetry.
• Stanza: a group of lines
separated from other lines by
breaks in the poem. Similar to a
paragraph.
• Meter: Using a set number of
syllables in each line.