Transcript Poetic Devices

Poetic Devices
Alliteration
(Sound)
• The repetition of the first
consonant sound in a word.
– Sally sold seashells by the seashore.
– Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled
peppers.
• Which of the images below does not fit?
A
B
C
D
Simile
(Figurative Language)
• A comparison between two
objects using "like", "as", or
"than”.
– Todd was like a bull in a china shop,
charging through the aisles.
– Amy was as quite as a mouse,
creeping up behind the intruder.
– Dennis is quicker than a cheetah,
focused on his prize.
• Can you write a simile about yourself?
Metaphor
(Figurative Language)
• A comparison between two
dissimilar objects. Usually the
words “is”, “are”, or “was” are
used.
• “Love is honey poured over life.” Love
isn’t honey, but this creates an
image of sweetness added to life.
• Can you write a metaphor of your own?
Repetition
• The technique of repeating
important lines, words, or phrases
of a poem for effect.
– It is similar to a refrain in a song.
– Robert Frost's "Stopping by Woods on a
Snowy Evening":
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
Assonance
(Sound)
• The repetition of vowel sounds in
a series of words.
– The fat cat was wearing a miniature
hat as he lay down on the mat.
– Mike rides his bike to the store for a
bag of rice.
• Which of the images below does not fit?
A
B
C
D
Onomatopoeia (Sound)
• The use of words which imitate
sound.
– Crack, pop, buzz, fizzle
• When writing, italicize onomatopoeias
when you want them to represent the
sound.
– Honk! Beep! Jan placed her hands over her
ears while her mother drove through the
traffic, so she wouldn’t have to listen to the
harsh sounds of car horns.
Imagery
• Eliciting images in the reader’s
mind through sensory and
concrete details.
– The young freckled boy creeps
through the freshly mown yard with
his sleek, black Colt BB gun in
hopes of shooting the plump blue jay
sitting on the log fence.
Rhyme
(Sound)
• The repetition of ending sounds in
words.
– What luck Chuck had that he didn’t
wreck his truck.
– Thad was a very sad lad.
• Which of the images below does not fit?
A
B
C
D
Personification
(Figurative Language)
• Giving inanimate or non-living
objects human characteristics.
– The trees danced in the wind.
– The wind spoke to me and told me
that rain was on the way.
• Write a sentence using personification.
Idiom
(Figurative Language)
• An expression that is particular to
a group of people or culture.
Idioms are NOT literal.
– It’s raining cats and dogs.
– Why the long face?
– Break a leg.
– If you jump the gun, you’re going to
get shot in the foot.
• Can you name another idiom?
– Helpful idiom site:
http://www.usingenglish.com/reference/idioms/.
Hyperbole
(Figurative Language)
• A hyperbole is an exaggeration or
overstatement. It is often meant
to be humorous.
– I caught a fish that was as big as me!
– He inhaled the sandwich.
• FYI: “Yo Mama” jokes are hyperboles!
Structure
• Line: similar to a sentence in
poetry.
• Stanza: a group of lines
separated from other lines by
breaks in the poem. Similar to a
paragraph.
• Meter: Using a set number of
syllables in each line.