Poetry Terminology

Grade 8

1. Alliteration

• The repetition of consonant sounds

– Ie. Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.– Ie. Babies in buggies bounced down the

boulevard.

Susan Simpson Suddenly swallows swiftly skimming,sunset’s slowly spreading shade,silvery songsters sweetly singingsummer’s soothing serenade. Susan Simpson strolled sedately,stifling sobs, suppressing sighs.Seeing Stephen Slocum, statelyshe stopped , showing some surprise. ‘ Say, ‘ said Stephen, ‘ sweetest sigher;Say, shall Stephen spouseless stay? ‘Susan, seeming somewhat shyer,showed submissiveness straightaway.

Summer’s season slowly stretches,Susan Simpson Slocum she—So she signed some simple sketches—Soul sought soul successfully. Six Septembers Susan swelters;Six sharp seasons snow supplies;Susan’s satin sofa sheltersSix small Slocums side by side.

Fall

Windy, winding walking waysStreets snaking, singing, swaysDescending deeper, darker daysMigrating, meandering, misty maze.

Assonance

• The repetition of vowel sounds

– Ie. Like a diamond in the sky.

Personification

• Giving human qualities to inanimate objects, plants, or animals

– Ie. The trees danced in the wind.– Ie. The sun smiled down on us.

Here is a sample of a short paragraph that uses personification to describe a house.

Our house is an old friend of ours. Although he creeks and groans with every gust of wind, he

never fails to protect us from the elements. He wraps his arms of bricks and mortar around us

and keeps us safe. He’s always been a good friend to us and we would never leave him.

What are the words and phrases above that show personification.

Finish the sentences below with examples of personification.

Remember to choose a word that would normally be a characteristic or an action of a human. The first one has been done for you.

1. The snow whispered as it fell to the ground.2. The baseball bat__________________as Casey hit the ball.3. The printer__________________out the copies that I printed.4. The cup_____________________an entire jar of tea.5. The floor______________________as the elephant walked across.6. The car__________________as the key was turned.7. The alarm clock_____________________that it was time to get up.8. The stars______________________at us from the night sky.9. The chocolate cake was__________________my name. 10. The old refrigerator_____________________a sad tune as it ran.

Hyperbole

• A large exaggeration (not intended to deceive)

– Ie. I have a ton of homework.– Ie. I cried a million tears.

Hyperboles1. My teacher is so mean, she eats first graders for lunch.2. My brother is so bad that he has to call the police to see if he is in jail.3. My cat is so mean, we have to put on gloves to feed her.4. My house is so large, I need a map to find the bathroom.5. My car is so old, it is pulled by a horse.6. Our house is so old, when you walk it shakes like an earthquake.7. My friend is so fat, her blood type is Chocolate Chip.8. My dog is so smart, he graduated college when he was two years old.9. My brother is so ugly, he has to wait until after dark to go outside to play.10. My teacher is so old, we looked up the definition for ancient and the full

definition included her name and picture.11. My grandfather is so slow, I miss two shows when he walks in front of the

television.12. My sister wears so much makeup, she could pass as a clown at the circus.

Oxymoron

• Putting two opposites side by side

– Ie. Loving hate– Ie. Icy hot– Ie. Sound of silence

Onomatopoeia

• Sound words– Ie. Biff, boom, bang– Ie. Ahchoo, burp– Ie. Moo, baa, oink

Metaphor

• A comparison that does NOT use a comparison word

• A direct comparison

– Ie. Love is a rose.– Ie. My house is a battleground.

Simile

• A comparison using “like”, “as” or “than”

– Ie. She swims like a fish.– Ie. He’s faster than a speeding bullet– Ie. She’s as sly as a fox.

As Sad As…

I’m as sad as an odd sockWith no one to wear itAs sad as a birthday With no one to share itAs sad as a teddy With no one to care for itAs sad as a firework With no one to light itAs sad as a strawberry with no one to bite itAs sad as a grey dayWith no sun to lighten it.

Image

• Creating a picture in the reader’s mind using the senses (sight, touch, smell, sound, and taste)

– Ie. The bright sunlight glinted off the softly gurgling water as the baby ducks quacked along after their mother.

rhyme

• Two or more words that have the same sounding ending, but different beginnings

– Ie. Time, dime– Ie. Song, along– Ie. Red, bed, Fred, said, led– Ie. sky, pie, rye, die

rhythm

• The beat of a line of poetry (what you can clap to)

– Ie. Whose woods these are I think I know / His house is in the village though

Meter

• A way to measure the rhythm (count the syllable patterns in a line)– Ie. Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day.

– Five iambic feet = iambic pentameter

Couplet

• Two lines of poetry that rhyme and have the same meter

– Ie. Twinkle, twinkle, little star How I wonder what you are