Poetic Devices Overview

Rhythm

Ordered alternation of strong and weak elements in speech

Repetition

Using a word or phrase multiple times for emphasis

Hyperbole

Exaggerated statement for effect or emphasis

Connotation

Emotional or implied meaning of a word

Symbol

Something representing or suggesting something else

Tone

Attitude of the writer towards the subject or audience

Metaphor

Comparison of two unlike things without like or as

Simile

Comparison of two unlike things using like or as

Personification

Attributing human-like traits to non-human entities

Alliteration

Repetition of the same sound at the beginning of words

Sensory Language

Language that appeals to the 5 senses

Onomatopoeia

Words imitating sounds (e.g., clang, roar)

Rhyme

Sound correspondence at the ends of words in poetry

Assonance

Repetition of vowels without consonants in verse

Consonance

Repetition of consonants without vowel repetition

Verse

A single line of poetry

Free Verse

Poetry without a rhyme scheme

Stanza

A group of lines in a poem with a recurring pattern

Denotation

Literal dictionary definition of a word

Syllable

Unit of pronunciation with one vowel sound