Definitions of Poetic Devices
Vocabulary
Rating Words Denotation Examples
1. Form The way a poem looks- or its arrangement on the
page- Poetry is written in lines, which may or
may not be sentences. Sometimes the lines
are combined into groups called stanzas.
Poets deliberately choose the arrangements
of words and lines. Some poets even plan the
spaces between words and letters to create
the form.
2. Rhyme Words that end with the same sound.
3. Rhyme Scheme The pattern of rhymes in a stanza in a poem.
abab abab
4. Rhythm Internal 'feel' of beat and meter perceived when
poetry is read aloud. The rhythm is the
pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in
a line of poetry. Stressed syllables are those
word parts that are read with more emphasis;
they can be indicated with a mark.
Unstressed syllables are those word parts that
are read with less emphasis; they can be
indicated with a U mark.
5. Meter The recurrence of a pattern of stressed and
unstressed syllables.
6. Free Verse Poems that do not have a regular rhythm and
sound more like conversation.
Repeating sounds, words, phrases, or whole lines
7. Repetition in a poem. Repetition helps the poet
emphasize an idea or convey a certain
feeling.
8. Refrain The stanza that keeps on repeating after some lines
in a poem.
9. Figurative Poets choose words and phrases that help the
Language reader to picture ordinary things in new
ways. Simile, metaphor, and personification
are examples of figurative language.
10. Imagery Words and phrases that appeal to the five senses.
Poets use imagery to create a picture in the
readers mind or to remind the reader of a
familiar sensation.
11. Simile A comparison of two unlike things using "as" or
"like." "Her hair is as bright as the sun."
12. Metaphor A comparison of two unlike things not using as
or like; implied comparison.
13. Personification Giving an animal or an object human qualities or
motives.
14. Theme The message about life that the poem conveys. All
of the poetry devices help the poet establish
the theme.
15. Hyperbole Exaggeration for dramatic effect.
"This book weighs a ton".
16. Oxymoron A seeming contradiction in two words put
together. "parting is such sweet sorrow."
17. Paradox A seemingly contradictory statement.
When you increase your knowledge,
you see how little you know.
18. Onomatopoeia Use of words resembling the sounds they mean.
biz buzz, humming, pant and puff.
19. Alliteration Deliberate repetition of initial consonant sounds.
"Build, build your Babels!"
Deliberate repetition of identical or similar vowel
20. Assonance sound. "The tread of the feet of the dead.
21. Consonance Repetition of consonant sounds.
The chalk fell into the crack in the
rock.
22. Epigram or Concise or witty saying.
Aphorism An apple a day keeps the doctor
away.
23. Apostrophe A figure of speech in which someone absent or
dead or something nonhuman is addressed as
if it were alive and present and was able to
reply.
24. Diction Poet's distinctive choices in vocabulary.
25. Tone Dominant feeling the poet feels towards the
subject.
26. Symbol A thing that represents or stands for something
else, especially a material object representing
something abstract.
Rating Root Word Denotation Words with Root
1. Dict, Dic Speak, say, proclaim
2. Imag Likeness
3. Liter Letter
4. Meter, Metr/y Measure
5. Simil, sim Likeness, imitating
6. Son Sound
7. Sym, syn, sy, With
syg, syl, sys
A self test on devices of poetry
Identify the poetical devices in these examples:
(There may be more than one in each)
1. "like a rocket shot to a ship ashore/ the lean red bolt of his body tore"
2. "Arabia will not sweeten this little hand"
3. "If anything might rouse him now/ the kind old sun will know"
4. "the road was a ribbon of moonlight, looping the purple moor"
5. "having a glass of blessings standing by."
6. "grass ...... following wind-worried"
7. "they were bright bubbles bursting from the trees"
8. "the murmuring of innumerable bees"
9. "lightening his load of links with pant and puff"
10. "Tonight it doth inherit the vastly Hall of Death"
11. "faint of ghosts of ghosts, the dreams of ghostly eyes"
12. "leaves hung like dumb tongues that loll and gasp for air"
13. "Thou art my life, my love, my heart/ The very eyes of me"
14. "Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky"
15. "By his dead smile, I knew we stood in Hell"
16. "the cockatoo ..the wise, harsh bird, as old and wise as Time"
17. "the curious bird, his cynic eyes half closed"
18. "Hail to thee bright spirit/ Bird thou never wert!"
19. "The evil that men do lives after them The good is oft interred with their bones."
20. "Where are the songs of Spring? Ay where are they?"
G. Smith 1998
ANSWERS to the Self Test on devices
1. simile/metaphor
2. hyperbole
3. personification
4. ribbon = metaphor
5. glass of blessings = metaphor
6. wind-worried = alliteration
7. bright bubbles bursting = alliteration
8. murmuring of innumerable =assonance
9. "load of links" = metaphor "with pant and puff" = alliteration/
10. "Tonight it doth inherit the vasty Hall of Death = onomatopoeia
11. ghosts of ghosts, ghostly = repetition for effect
12. "like dumb tongues" = simile "that loll and gasp for air" = personification
13. "Thou art my life" = apostrophe The very eyes of me = metaphor
14. "Ring out, wild bells" = apostrophe
15. dead smile = oxymoron/ we stood in Hell = slight hyperbole
16. bird, as old and wise as Time = similes, falling cadence
17. "the curious bird, his cynic eyes half closed" =personification
18. "Hail to thee bright spirit!" = apostrophe
19. "The evil that men do lives after them/ The good is oft interred with their bones." = epigram
20. "Where are the songs of Spring? Ay where are they?" = repetition
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