An overview of poetic devices

1. Poetry

2. Poetry is, first of all, a communication. It is a thought or message
conveyed by the writer to the reader. It is not only an act of
creation, but an act of sharing. It is therefore important to the
reader that he/she understands how the poet uses words, how
he/she puts fresh vigor and new meaning into words. The
reader's understanding is immeasurably increased if he/she is
familiar with the many techniques or devices of poetry. Some of
these are extremely simple; a few are rather elaborate.

3. Personification
Technique in which an author gives human characteristics to
non-human things (animals, natural forces, objects, ideas,
etc.); examples are Jack Frost, Old Man Winter, Mother
Nature, etc.; sentences with personification are as follows:
Examples:
The volcano sneezed The clouds cried large droplets The

4. Alliteration
The repetition of initial (first) consonant letters or sounds in
word groups; recognized by sound, not by spelling (know
and nail alliterate, and know and key do not)
Examples:
wild and wooly
sweet sixteen
through thick and thin
dime a dozen
big blue balloon
fat furry fox

5. onomatopoeia
Is a word that imitates the sound it represents.
Example:
splash, wow, gush, kerplunk, buzz, crash, clang, hiss,
purr, squeak, boom

6. Rhyme
Is a pattern of words that contain similar
sounds.
Example:
Go, show, glow, know, though
Mat, rat, fat, cat, bat
Cake, make, rake, bake, fake

7. Simile
The comparison of two unlike things using like or as.
Examples:
He eats like a pig
skin as smooth as silk

8. Metaphor
A comparison which does not use the words like or as;
not to be confused with similes
Example:
Her laughter is a babbling brook
He was an island
Her love is poison
He is the sunshine of my life

9. Hyperbole
Is an exaggeration or overstatement.
Example:
I’m so hungry I could eat a horse
He’s as big as a house
I’d give all my money for a pack of Oreo cookies

10. Assonance
The repetition of vowel sounds but not consonant
sounds.
Example:
fleet feet sweep by sleeping geeks
I must confess that in my quest I felt depressed and

11. Consonance
The repetition of consonant sounds, but not
vowels.
Example:
The lady lounges lazily
The dark deep dread dripped in

12. Practice
Active Engagement
Now I will give you a sheet with 20 sentences. You are to identify the type of
figurative language used for each one. Read the sentences and write the type
on the space provided.
Independent Practice
After the active engagement, listen for your names as I will call you into groups
of three to work on generating your own examples of figurative language. You
will get a list with the ones you will be working on.