Poetic Devices/Figurative Language

Rhyme Scheme

the ordered pattern of rhymes at the ends of the lines of a poem or verses.

Stanza

specific placement of lines in a poem in regards to length and grouping that results in patterns

Couplet

Two lines of verse, usually in the same meter and joined by rhyme, that form a unit.

Meter

rhythmic pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables, structured into repeating units called "feet"

Alliteration

the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words

Consonance

the recurrence of similar sounds, especially consonants, in close proximity

Assonance

in poetry, the repetition of the sound of a vowel or “diphthong” in non rhyming stressed syllables near enough to each other for the echo to be discerned/seen/heard/identified

Onomatopoeia

the formation of a word from a sound associated with what is named

Repetition

the action of repeating something that has already been said or written

Personification

the attribution of a personal nature or human characteristics, traits, qualities 

to something nonhuman, or the representation of an abstract quality in human form.

Allusion

an implied or indirect reference to a person, event, or thing or to a part of another text.

Analogy

an extended comparison between two things, typically for the purpose of explanation or clarification.

Imagery/Auditory Imagery

visually descriptive (or auditorily descriptive) or figurative language, especially which appeals to the five senses.

Simile

A comparison of two things using like or as

Metaphor

a comparison between two things without using like or as

Hyperbole

Exaggerated statements or claims used to prove a point

Anaphora

Repetition at the start/beginning of a phrase or sentence.

Apostrophe

When the speaker references something or someone who is not physically/currently present as if they could respond. They need not allude to anything specific

Anthropomorphism

The showing or treating of animals, gods, and objects as if they are human in appearance, character, or behavior.

Oxymoron

a figure of speech in which apparently contradictory terms appear in conjunction

Paradox

a statement, situation, or concept that appears to be self-contradictory or absurd but, upon closer examination, may reveal a deeper truth or be logically sound. 

Tonw

The “feeling”or vibe a writer evokes through structure, word choice, etc– how the poet “sounds.

Mood

the overall emotional atmosphere or feeling that the reader feels, often through the writer’s descriptive language, sensory imagery, setting, and word choice

“The arm of flesh didst make thy trust?” is an example of…

consonance. “st”

“The world no longer let me love,” is an example of…

assonance. “o”.

“Thou hast a house on high erect” is an example of

Alliteration. “H”

“My love is such that rivers cannot quench” is an example of…

Simile. Such that = like/as

“That when we live no more, we may live ever” is an example of…

Paradox

Difference between an apostrophe and an allusion

Apostrophe refers to someone absent as if they could reply, while an allusion is a brief mention

anthropomorphism vs personfication

anthro is literal (Winnie the Pooh), personification is figurative