Poetic Elements – Sound Devices Alliteration Assonance Onomatopoeia

Alliteration Alliteration – The repetition of consonant sounds at the beginnings of words Ex.) Manhattan’s sights and sounds, her smells.

Assonance Assonance – The repetition of similar vowel sounds Ex.) The Soul selects her own Society.

Onomatopoeia Onomatopoeia – The use of a word or phrase that actually imitates or suggests the sound of what it describes. Ex.) Bang! Bang! You’re dead.

Poetic Elements – Rhyme The repetition of the same stressed vowel sounds and any succeeding sounds in two or more words.

End Rhyme – occurs at the ends of lines of poetry

Slant Rhyme Slant Rhyme – occurs when words include sounds that are similar but not identical Barn/yard; wait/made

Internal Rhyme – occurs within a single line

Rhyme Scheme Rhyme Scheme – the pattern that end rhymes form in a stanza or poem; the rhyme scheme is designated by the assignment of a different letter of the alphabet to each new rhyme

Rhyme Scheme Practice Helen, thy beauty is to me ___ Like those barks of yore, ___ That gently, o’er a perfumed sea, ___ The weary, way-worn wanderer bore___ To his own native shore. ___

Rhyme Scheme Practice Helen, thy beauty is to me a Like those barks of yore, b That gently, o’er a perfumed sea, a The weary, way-worn wanderer bore b To his own native shore. b

Comparison using figurative language Words in a poem often invite the reader to think of two things at once: one thing literally, the other figuratively. Comparison is achieved by the use of figurative language.

Figurative Language Devices Simile Metaphor Personification Symbol

Simile Ex.) When the evening is spread out against the sky Simile – a figure of speech using a word or phrase such as like or as to explicitly compare or equate seemingly unlike things. Ex.) When the evening is spread out against the sky Like a patient etherized upon a table …

Metaphor Ex.) She is the rose of the family and I am the green thorn. Metaphor – A figure of speech that implicitly compares two seemingly unlike things; It implies a comparison, instead of directly stating it as in a simile; hence, there is no use of connectives such as like or as. Ex.) She is the rose of the family and I am the green thorn.

Personification Personification – A figure of speech in which an animal, an object, a force of nature, or an idea is given human characteristics. Ex.) Because I could not stop for death He kindly stopped for me

Symbol Ex.) The flag stood as a reminder to all of us … Symbol -- Any object, person, place, or experience that exists on a literal level but also represents something more abstract. Ex.) The flag stood as a reminder to all of us …