Elements of Poetry: Sound Devices & Figurative Language

Cornell Notes reminder… Title is POETRY: SOUND DEVICES & FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE Your Name Today’s Date Period Write words to be defined and types of figurative language here. Write definitions, explanations, and some examples here. For these notes, you do not need to use a summary space, as you see here.

He drove me up the wall. Idiom Phrases that are not intended to be taken literally. The literal meaning of the phrase often does not make sense. He drove me up the wall. Literal meaning = I was a passenger in a car he was driving that went up a wall. Figurative meaning = He irritated or annoyed me greatly.

Idiom (continued) What are some other idioms you are familiar with? Copy down 2-3 of them, list the literal and figurative meaning of each.

Hyperbole A hyperbole is an exaggeration used to provide emphasis on a concept or idea. Example: I have told you a thousand times to clean up your room!

Personification This occurs when a writer gives human-like qualities to non-human things. Example: The camera loves me!

Simile and Metaphor A simile is a comparison between two generally unlike things that uses the words “like” or “as” A metaphor also is a comparison between two generally unlike things that does not use “like” or “as”. Instead, it commonly uses “is” or “was”.

Imagery This is when a writer uses descriptive language that speaks directly to one or more of a reader’s five senses: Hearing, sight, taste, touch, and smell.

Words that sound like their meaning --- the “sound” they describe. Onomatopoeia Words that sound like their meaning --- the “sound” they describe. buzz… hiss… roar… meow… woof… rumble… howl… snap… zip… zap… blip… whack … crack… crash… flutter… flap… squeak… whirr.. pow… plop… crunch… splash… jingle… rattle… bam!

Alliteration The repetition of initial consonant sounds, in two or more neighboring words or syllables. The wild and wooly walrus waits and wonders when we will walk by. Slowly, silently, now the moon Walks the night in her silver shoon; This way, and that, she peers, and sees Silver fruit upon silver trees… -- from Silver by Walter de la Mare How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? (almost ALL tongue twisters!)

Repetition Words or phrases repeated in writings to give emphasis, rhythm, and/or a sense of urgency. Example: from Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Bells” To the swinging and the ringing of the bells, bells, bells – Of the bells, bells, bells, bells Bells, bells, bells – To the rhyming and the chiming of the bells! Think of all the songs you know where words and lines are repeated – often a lot!

Rhythm and Meter Rhythm is the sound pattern created by stressed and unstressed syllables. The pattern can be regular or random. Meter is the regular patterns of stresses found in many poems and songs.. Rhythm is often combined with rhyme, alliteration, and other poetic devices to add a musical quality to the writing.

Rhythm and Meter continued… Example: I think that I shall never see a poem lovely as a tree. The purple words/syllables are “stressed”, and they have a regular pattern, so this poetic line has “meter”.

Rhyme Ring around the rosies, A pocket full of posies, The repetition of end sounds in words End rhymes appear at the end of two or more lines of poetry. Internal rhymes appear within a single line of poetry. Slant rhyme is when words do not technically rhyme, but sound very similar. Ring around the rosies, A pocket full of posies, Abednego was meek and mild; he softly spoke, he sweetly smiled. He never called his playmates names, and he was good in running games;

This may seem confusing, but it isn’t. Really! Rhyme Scheme The pattern of end rhymes (of lines) in a poem. Letters are used to identify a poem’s rhyme scheme (a.k.a rhyme pattern). The letter a is placed after the first line and all lines that rhyme with the first line. The letter b identifies the next line ending with a new sound, and all lines that rhyme with it. Letters continue to be assigned in sequence to lines containing new ending sounds. a.k.a = “also known as” This may seem confusing, but it isn’t. Really!

Rhyme Scheme continued… Examples: Twinkle, twinkle little star a How I wonder what you are. a Up above the earth so high, b Like a diamond in the sky. b Baa, baa, black sheep a Have you any wool? b Yes sir, yes sir, c Three bags full. b

Rhyme Scheme continued… What is the rhyme scheme of this stanza? Whose woods these are I think I know. His house is in the village though; He will not see me stopping here To watch his woods fill up with snow. From Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost

Did you get it right? aaba Whose woods these are I think I know. a His house is in the village though; a He will not see me stopping here b To watch his woods fill up with snow. a

Elements of Poetry: Types of Poems

Cornell Notes reminder… Title is POETRY: Types of Poems Your Name Today’s Date Period Write words to be defined and types of figurative language here. Write definitions, explanations, and some examples here. For these notes, you do not need to use a summary space, as you see here.

Lines and Stanzas Remember: A line is like a sentence in a poem. A stanza is like a paragraph in a poem. It is a group of lines forming a section of a poem. A two-line stanza is called a couplet. A three-line stanza is called a tercet. A four-line stanza is called a quatrain. A five-line stanza is called a cinquain. A six-line stanza is called a sestet. A seven-line stanza is called a septet. An eight-line stanza is called an octave, or sometimes an octet.

Poetry can take on many formats, but one of the most inventive forms is for the poem to take on the shape of its subject. Therefore, if the subject of your poem were of a flower, then the poem would be shaped like a flower. If it were of a fish, then the poem would take on the shape of a fish Shape Poetry

Narrative Poetry A form of poetry tells a story, often making use of the voice of the narrators and characters of the story. It is usually told in metered verse!

Lyric Poetry A highly emotional poem written with choruses and verses. Lyric poetry can usually be accompanied by music.