Poetry & Poetic Devices Terms

Alliteration

When words that have the same first consonant sound occur close together in a series.

Allusion

A brief and indirect reference to a person, place, thing or idea of historical, cultural, literary or political significance.

Assonance

When two or more words that are close to one another repeat the same vowel sound but start with different consonant sounds.

Consonance

When the same consonant sound appears repeatedly in a line or sentence, creating a rhythmic effect. Alliteration is a type of consonance.

Diction

The style of speaking or writing determined by the choice of words by a speaker or a writer.

Dissonance

A combination of sounds or musical notes that are not pleasant when heard together.

Ekphrastic poetry

A vivid description of a scene or, more commonly, a work of art.

Enjambment

Continuing a line after the line breaks.

Figurative language

Language that uses words or expressions with a meaning that is different from the literal interpretation.

Form

Attention to the way the poem appears on the page (capitalization, font, position, punctuation marks).

Hyperbole

A figure of speech that involves an exaggeration of ideas for the sake of emphasis.

Imagery

The use of figurative language to evoke a sensory experience or create a picture with words for a reader.

Line break

Occurs when a poet decides to stop a line and begin another.

Metaphor

A figure of speech that makes a comparison between two things that are unrelated but which share some common characteristics.

Motif

A repeated symbolic image or idea.

Onomatopoeia

A word that imitates the natural sound of a thing.

Personification

A figure of speech in which a thing — an idea or an animal — is given human attributes.

Rhyme

Words whose endings match.

Simile

A figure of speech that makes a comparison that shows similarities between two different things.

Sound devices

Literary devices that emphasize sound (alliteration, assonance, onomatopoeia).

Syllable

A single unit of speech.

Symbolism

The use of symbols to signify ideas and qualities, by giving them symbolic meanings that are different from their literal sense.