1. Poetic Techniques

2. Denotation/Connotation
Denotation: What the dictionary says…the literal definition of a word
Connotation: The implied meaning of a word; it’s meaning BEYOND the dictionary; how it is interpreted by people.

3. Figurative Language
words or expressions with a meaning that is different from the literal interpretation
Why? To achieve a more complicated understanding or heightened effect—gets your point across!

4. Metaphor
A figure of speech in which an implied comparison is made between two unlike things that actually have something important in common.
Types of metaphors:
Similes
Extended metaphors
Antitheses
Hyperboles
Metonymies/Synecdoches

5. Simile A type of metaphor that uses “like” or “as” for comparison.
Ex: Do you ever feel like a plastic bag?
Ex: He is as cuddly as a cactus.

6. Extended Metaphor (Conceit)
A type of metaphor that is carried over several lines of poetry
Ex: In “The Road Not Taken”, the use of the road is employed through the whole poem

7. Extended Metaphor (Conceit)
A type of metaphor that is carried over several lines of poetry
Ex: In “The Road Not Taken”, the use of the road is employed through the whole poem

8. Antithesis
Two terms, phrases or ideas that contrast or have opposite meanings.
Ex: Love is the antithesis of hate
Ex: Young is the antithesis of old.

9. Hyperbole An exaggerated claim or statement for effect
Ex: I have ton of homework!
It took me all day to do the homework.
This job is giving me a heartattack.

10. Metonymy/Synecdoche
Metonymy is a figure of speech in which one word or phrase is substituted for another with which it is closely associated.
Ex: Wall Street is associated with banking, but is literally a street in Manhattan, NYC
Synecdoche is a figure of speech in which a part is made to represent the whole or vice versa
Ex: All hands on deck.

11. Personification Giving non-human objects human characteristics
Ex: The wind howled. The house slouched. The clouds cried over the city.

12. Alliteration
A stylistic choice where two or more words in a row or several within a sentence begin with the same letter.
Angry alligators
The big, bad man bullied ruthlessly.
I’m trying to live it to the limit and love it a lot
A winter’s day, in a deep and dark December

13. Assonance/Consonance
Assonance: repetition of vowel sounds in words that are close to one another in a piece of text
"Hear the mellow wedding bells“
“I need an easy friend”
Consonance: repetition of consonant sounds in words that are close to one another in a piece of text
…a vixin, an undercover lover, vexin’…
It all died down

14. Onomatopoeia
The formation of a word from a sound associated with what is named
Crack, boom, sizzle, chirp, pop, bark, meow

15. Symbol
A figure of speech where an object, person, or situation has another meaning other than its literal meaning.
May have several layers of meaning, often concealed at first sight
The little sprout in Wall-E isn’t just about a plant growing, it is symbolic of life in general
Many colors have symbols, white = peace, black= death, etc.

16. Allusion
an expression designed to call something to mind without mentioning it explicitly; an indirect or passing reference to something well-known, particularly another work
References to the Bible, Mythology, famous works, famous historical events, etc.

17. Idiom A phrase that is not meant to be taken literally
Commonly said so their meanings are understood
Ex: Kick the bucket, sell the farm, count your chickens, get caught with your pants down…
Anyone ever heard of Amelia Bedelia??