1. Poetry Glossary
Literary Devices

2. Tone
Tone describes the author’s attitude toward his or her material, the audience, or both. Tone is easier to determine in spoken than in written language.
Tone words: humorous, pessimistic, angry, informal, playful, cheerful, pompous, matter-of-fact, formal, suspicious, optimistic
(see handout)

3. mood Indicates the prevailing atmosphere or emotional aura of a work
Mood words: eerie, melancholy, frightening, mysterious, romantic, gloomy, sentimental, happy, sorrowful, joyful, suspenseful

4. diction Word choice; style associated with word choice
"Words strain, Crack and sometimes break, under the burden, Under the tension, slip, slide, perish, Decay with imprecision, will not stay in place, Will not stay still." (T.S. Eliot, "Burnt Norton")

5. imagery
Words, phrases, or elements of a poem that appeal to the senses
How does it look?
How does it smell?
How does it taste?
How does it sound?
How does it feel?
Imagery creates an image in the reader’s mind

6. hyperbole
Exaggerated statements, not meant to be taken literally; an obvious overstatement
Used for emphasis or effect

7. allusion
A reference to a person, place, thing, or event in history, culture, or other literary work
Mythological
Biblical
Literary
Musical
Historical

8. Extended metaphor
A comparison between two unlike things that continues throughout a series of lines in a poem

9. symbol
Something in a poem (an object, character, idea, or other item) that stands for or represents something else

10. onomatopoeia
Words that imitate the sounds associated with the actions or objects they refer to
EX: hiss, buzz, sizzle

11. alliteration The repetition of an initial consonant sound
Pitbulls & Parolees
Toddlers & Tiaras
“Once upon a midnight dreary
while I pondered weak and weary…”
-Edgar Alan Poe

12. rhyme Repetition of identical or similar sounds in a work
Many poems have “end rhymes” or words that rhyme at the end of different lines
A poem does not HAVE to rhyme

13. Anaphora
The repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive stanzas, lines, or verses

14. Connotation/denotation
Connotation: The non-literal, associative meaning of a word; the suggested meaning and feelings associated with it; e.g. He is such a snake.
Denotation: The strict, literal, dictionary definition of a word; e.g. A snake is a cold- blooded reptile.

15. Pun
A play on words; where one or more words intentionally have double meanings
Examples:
“I work as a baker because I knead dough.”
“Never invest in funerals; it is a dying industry.”
Headline: “Energizer Bunny Arrested—Charged With Battery”

16. Oxymoron
Two words put together that have opposite or contradictory meanings
Ex:
Jumbo shrimp
Old news
Act naturally
Definite possibility
Small crowd

17. Simile Comparing two things by using “like” or “as”
Example: Her eyes were as bright as the stars.

18. Metaphor Comparing two things without using “like” or “as”
Example: Her smile was a summer day.