Enjambment
continuation of a line from one line to the next with no punctuation
Effect: speeds up the pace of the poem
Caesura
a stop or a pause in the middle of a line; often marked by punctuation
Effect: brings attention to a particular sentence
End-line stop
Effect: brings attention to a particular sentence
Lineation
Effect: brings attention to a particular sentence, motif, theme
Euphony & Cacaphony
Euphony: pleasing and harmonious sound patterns
Alliteration, assonance, sibilance, consonance
Cacaphony: jarring and unpleasant sound patterns
clinching, gyrating, beating, swirling
Effect: contradict the original tone of the poem; juxtaposition of pleasant and unpleasant sounds to create an effect
Connotation
Effect: adds to the tone of the poem; invokes a feeling in the reader
Apostrophe
Effect: to direct the reader's attention to something other than the person who's speaking
Metonymy
a literary device that substitutes the name of an object/concept with a word that is closely related to its original meaning
You have a nice ride. (You have a nice car.)
Effect: creating concrete and vivid images in place of generalities
Synecdoche
a literary device in which a part of something is substituted for the whole
I have a new set of wheels. (I have a new car.)
Effect: allow speakers to emphasize certain parts of a whole, highlighting their importance by substituting them for the whole
Imagery
Effect: emphasizes a detail; contributes to the tone as it creates an atmosphere
Rhyme scheme
Effect: creates a particular atmosphere and mood
meiosis
Effect: understates/undermines an event or feeling to minimise it
Asyndeton
listing without the word ‘and‘
Effect: speeds up the rhythm/pace
Polysyndeton
listing with the word ‘and‘ in between every word
Effect: slows down the rhythm/pace
Atmosphere
overall mood of a scene, a story or a poem
Not to be confused with tone: atmosphere relates to the thing being described, not the attitude of the narrator towards it