PoetryDevices and Terminology

FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE

Similes and Metaphors Life is LIKE an onion.

The streets were a furnace.

Personification The wind stood up and

gave a shout.

Symbolism

Concrete object that represents an abstract concept

RHYTHMStressed

syllable = accented syllableTI-naKA-thyDa-KO-ta

Alternating stressed and unstressed syllables

Rise and fall in the voice

METER

Repeated pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables

ie, Iambic Pentameter

Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?

Thou art more lovely and more temperate.

Meter in PoetryMetrical Poetry

Poetry that has meter—regular patterns

Free vs. Blank Verse

FREE: Poetry that is “free” from meter and rhymeBLANK:Unrhymed iambic pentameter

5 Types of Feet

Iamb: for-GET, de-CEIVE, com-PARE

Trochee: LIST-en, O-ver, LONE-ly

Anapest: un-der-STAND, sev-en-TEEN, lunch-eon-ETTE

Dactyl: EX-cel-lent, OP-en-ing, TEM-per-ate

Spondee: HEART-BEAT, AIR-PLANE

1.Iamb/Iambic2.Trochee/Trochaic3.Anapest/Anapestic4.Dactyl/Dactylic5.Spondee/Spondaic

RHYMES

End RhymeInternal

Rhyme

Perfect Rhyme Slant/Approximate

Rhymewashes/brushesslain/blade

Other Sounds in PoetryAlliteration:

repetition of consonant sounds at beginnings of words“The soul

selects her own society.”

Assonance: repetition of vowel sounds without repeated consonant soundsHoly/Stony;

Night/Life

DICTION The man moved down the path.

(Neutral) The man skipped down the

path. (Positive) The man slithered down the

path. (Negative)

Word choice

Consider CONNOTATION to determine tone/attitude

IMAGERYLanguage that appeals to the senses

Sight, Sound, Smell, Taste, Touch

SONNETS14-linesIambic PentameterRhyme Scheme

(Shakespearean, Petrarchan, Spenserian, etc.)

Turn (Shift)Ending Couplet

Story Telling vs. Sharing Emotion

Epic: Long, narrative poem with larger-than-life hero

Ballad: Song or song-like poem that tells a story

Lyric Poetry: Focus on emotions or thoughts rather than story