This document defines and provides examples of various poetic devices and elements, including rhyme, imagery, theme, tone, mood, atmosphere, alliteration, simile, metaphor, personification, onomatopoeia, assonance, and repetition. It also lists questions to ask when analyzing a poem, such as what is happening, who is speaking, how they feel, the subject matter and theme, and use of descriptive devices.

1. The Language of Poetry

2. Examples of rhyme might be‘Whose woods these are I think I knowHis house is in the village though’OrThe woods are lovely dark and deep,But I have promises to keepRhyme

3. A poem that rhymes makes it easy and more enjoyable to read.Rhyme makes a poem more musical.Rhyme

4. A poem is a series of word pictures. We see them with our imagination instead of our eyes. We call these pictures images.Images

5. The theme of a poem is the main topic or issue in the poem. Just ask yourself what is the poem really about?For example, the theme of ‘Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening’ might be that life is sometimes hard but we need to keep travelling on.Theme

6. When you talk to someone you can change the meaning of what you say by changing the tone of your voice.Poems also have a tone.This is the tone of voice of the poet, or the speaker of the poem.The tone in this poem is a very sad, lonely or tired tone.Tone

7. The main emotion in the poem is called the mood.In ‘Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening’, there is a mood of wonder or sorrow.Mood

8. The atmosphere of the poem is linked to the setting of the poem.The lonely woods in ‘Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening’ gives the poem an atmosphere of mystery, wonder and silence.Atmosphere

9. When lots of words in a poem start with the same letter it is called alliteration.This gives the line a special beat.In poetry this is called rhythm. For example the poem ‘Truant’ opens with the line ‘Sing a song of sunlight’Alliteration

10. A simile is a special kind of image.The poet creates a picture by comparing two things using the words ‘like’ or ‘as’For example: ‘as snug as a gun’‘ran like the wind’Simile

11. Sometimes a poet creates an image by comparing two things without using the words ‘like’, ‘as’ or ‘than’.This is called a metaphor.For example:It’ raining cats and dogs’ – The rain is compared to cats and dogs falling from the sky.Metaphor

12. When something that is not live (an inanimate object) is given human characteristics it is called personification.‘I wandered lonely as a cloud’ – The cloud is described as if it is a person wandering around.Personification

13. When a word imitates the sound it is describing it is called onomatopoeia.The snow was ‘whispering’ and ‘rustling’ as it fell. These verbs recreate the sound of the snow falling.Onomatopoeia

14. When a vowel (a,e,i,o,u) is repeated in a line it is called assonance.Notice it is the vowel sound and not just the vowel letter that creates assonance.Words that rhyme often have assonance; this makes them sound the same.For example:I know/ this rose is only/ an ink-and-paper rose/ but see how it grows and goes/ on growingAssonance

15. Repetition is when words or phrases are repeated in a poem.In ‘Stopping by Woods...’ ‘And miles to go before I sleep,And miles to go before I sleep.’Repetition

16. What happens in this poem?What is this poem about?Who is speaking in this poem?How does that person feel?What is the subject matter and theme of the poem?What is the beginning, middle and end of the poem?What is the mood of the poem?Questions to ask of a poem

17. Be careful to observe if there is a sudden change in the poem towards the end. Does the poem move from despair to hope, love to regret?What are the most powerful images in the poem?Are there any comparisons or contrasts in the poem?Does the writer use any sound effects in the poem e.g. OnomatopoeiaIs there any repetition in the poem? (Repetition adds emphasis to the subject)Are there any devices or descriptive words that you found particularly interesting?Are other figures of speech, e.g. Metaphors, similes, used?Questions to ask of a poem