AP Literature Poetic Devices

Alliteration

Repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words.

Assonance

Repetition of the same vowel sound in words close to each other.

Rhyme

Words that sound the same or similar, particularly at the ends of lines in poetry.

Metaphor

A statement that one thing is another, often unrelated, thing in order to make a comparison or highlight a similarity.

Simile

Comparing two things using like or as.

Hyperbole

Over-exaggeration for the purpose of emphasis.

Understatement

When a poet intentionally makes a situation seem less important or severe than it is.

Imagery

The use of language to appeal to our five senses.

Enjambment

The continuation of a sentence without a pause beyond the end of a line, couplet, or stanza.

Connotation

The emotional or cultural association with a word rather than its dictionary definition.

Denotation

The actual definition of a word, devoid of emotion or personal association.

Irony

When the outcome of a situation is different than what was expected.

Symbol

An object or action that means more than its literal meaning.

Personification

Applying human characteristics to non-human objects or concepts.

Onomatopoeia

Words that phonetically imitate or resemble the sounds of the actions they describe.

Oxymoron

A figure of speech in which contradictory terms appear in conjunction.

Paradox

A seemingly absurd or self-contradictory statement that, upon closer inspection, contains a possible truth.

Juxtaposition

Placing two contrasting ideas, characters, or settings side-by-side to highlight their differences.

Shift/Volta

A sudden change in thought, direction, or emotion; the key to the poem's meaning.

Allusion

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

Metonymy

Replacing the name of a thing with the name of something else with which it is closely connected.

Synecdoche

A figure of speech in which a part is made to represent the whole.

Diction

Strategic word choice (e.g., archaic, colloquial, or elevated).

Syntax

The arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences and pace.