Techniques and Literary Devices in Poetry

Lesson Overview

  • Topic: Techniques and Literary Devices in Poetry

  • Relevant Course: Creative Writing

  • Target Strand: General Academic Strand | Humanities and Social Sciences

Introduction to Poetry and Music

  • Music as a form of stress relief.

  • Connection between music and poetry: both involve similar creative processes.

Core Concept

  • Composing a song parallels writing a poem; both require wordplay to engage the audience.

Learning Competency

  • Identify various techniques and literary devices in poetry:

    • Write a short poem applying these elements.

Learning Objectives

  • Identify poetic devices and techniques in a sample poem.

  • Recognize defamiliarization in poetry.

  • Appreciate works by local and foreign poets.

  • Utilize poetic devices in exercises.

Poetic Devices and Techniques

Defamiliarization

  • Presenting familiar subjects in unique ways to alter audience perception.

  • Quote from Gémino H. Abad: "What is most imagined is what is most real."

Examples of Defamiliarization in Poetry

  • "Ode to the Tomato" by Pablo Neruda: vivid imagery that evokes freshness and life from a simple subject.

Sensory Devices

  • Imagery: Descriptive language appealing to the senses.

  • Metaphor: Direct comparison between two ideas.

  • Simile: Comparison using 'like' or 'as'.

Sound Devices

  • Alliteration: Repetition of consonant sounds.

  • Assonance: Repetition of vowel sounds.

  • Onomatopoeia: Words that mimic sounds.

Writing Technique

  • Crafting poetry is akin to fashioning a personal style; mix and match to find your unique expression.

  • Caution against overusing poetic devices to maintain clarity.

Other Poetic Devices

  • Allusion: Reference to external texts or history.

  • Apostrophe: Addressing an absent entity.

  • Hyperbole: Exaggeration for effect.

  • Irony: Contrast between expectation and reality.

  • Mnemonic: Memory aids using initial letters.

  • Personification: Attributing human traits to nonhuman entities.

  • Symbolism: Objects or figures representing larger ideas.

  • Synecdoche: Part representing the whole.

Analysis Techniques

  • Outer Explication: Analyzing the poem's structural elements.

  • Inner Explication: Uncovering deeper meanings and contexts.

Key Takeaways

  • Defamiliarization enhances audience perception.

  • Importance of poetic devices for enhancing poetic expression.

  • Reading and analyzing poetry encourages deeper appreciation of language and creativity.

Bibliography

  • Clabough, C., Hamand, M., & Wainwright, J. (Various years). Creative writing resources and guides.