Literary Devices - Poetry (AP Lit)

Caesura

A pause within the line, usually by a punctuation mark.

Example of Caesura

“To wait an hour - is long -” The first dash is an example of caesura

Motif

A reoccurring theme, idea, or object, usually for symbolic effect.

Example of motif

The saw is an example of motif in the poem “Out, Out -” by Robert Frost.

Imagery

Descriptive language used to illustrate a picture

Example of imagery

“Two vast and trunkless legs of stone stand in the desert” is an example of imagery

Archetype

A stereotypical or repeated character, symbol, or plot across multiple works of literature.

Example of archetype

The hero is a popular archetype, of a young man who rises to the level of legends through good deeds.

Point of view

The perspective from which the poem is told, either first person “I”, seocnd person "you”, or third person “s/he/they”

Characterization

Description of the traits or personality of a character in poetry

Example of characterization

“you say you believe I would hold up under torture for the sake of our children. You say you think I have courage.” is an example of characterization

Symbolism

Something (object, action, etc) meant to represent something else (theme, value, etc).

Example of symbolism

The road is a symbol in the poem “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost

Conflict

A struggle between opposing forces within the poem

Example of conflict

The struggle between man and death is the conflict at the heart of “Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night" by Dylan Thomas

Setting

Where and when a poem takes place

Structure

The arrangement of lines, stanzas, and form of a poem

Example of structure

“Life is Fine” is an example of a poem with interesting structure in the lines “But it was Cold in that water! It was cold!”, “But it was High up there! It was high!”, and “Life is fine! Fine as wine! Life is fine!”

Allusion

A reference to something well known - like a person, place, or line.

Example of allusion

In “Nothing Gold Can Stay” by Robert Frost, he alludes to the Bible in the line “So Eden sank to grief,”

Colloquial Language

Informal language or slang

Example of colloquial langauge

“we real cool” is an example of colloquial language, in the grammatical structure of AAVE

Formal Language

“Standard” or academic English, language that is structured and following “standard” grammar closely. Usually older

Example of formal language

In “Ode on a Grecian Urn” by John Keates, “What leaf-fring'd legend haunts about thy shape Of deities or mortals, or of both, In Tempe or the dales of Arcady?” is an example of formal language, mirroring that of ancient poetry. John Keates was writing in the early 1800’s when some of this language (leaf-fring'd, dales of Arcady) would be considered ancient.

Meter

The rhythmic structure of a poem, using stressed and unstressed syllables in a pattern

Example of meter

Iambic pentameter is the most common meter in English, as popularized by Shakespeare. It is made up of 5 feet(2 syllables), of one unstressed syllable and one stressed syllable.

Rhyme

Repetition of similar sounds in words, usually in a pattern called a rhyme scheme.

Example of rhyme

“The Raven” by Edgar Allen Poe uses the rhyme scheme of ABCBBB. From the first stanza: “weary” is A, “lore” is B, “tapping” is C, “door” is B, “door” is B, and “more” is B.

Metaphor

When something is described by saying it is something else.

Example of metaphor

In “‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers” by Emily Dickinson, Dickinson uses the metaphor of a bird to describe hope.

Simile

When two things are compared using like or as

Example of simile

In “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud” by William Wordsworth, “I wandered lonely as a cloud” is a simile

Enjambment

When a phrase/sentence continues onto the next line of poetry

Example of enjambment

In “A Red Wheelbarrow” by William Carlos Williams, “so much depends upon a red wheel barrow” breaks up this phrase between 4 lines.