Literary/ Poetic Devices

SimileA comparison of two or more unlike things

using the words like or as

“Just like dust we settle in this town.”

Kasey Musgrave, “Merry-Go-Round”

Metaphor

A comparison between two unlike things in which one thing is spoken of as if it were another

“New York, concrete jungle where dreams are made of…”

Jay Z & Alicia Keys, “Empire State of Mind”

Words that

appear to contradict

one another

A literary device that

exploits readers’

expectations; irony occurs when what is

expected turns out to

be quite different from what actually

happens.

Dramatic Irony

A form of Irony in which the reader or audience knows more about the circumstances or future events in a story than the characters within it.

“And that was how he came to look after the doomed lad who was sacrificed to the village of Umuofia by their neighbors to avoid war and blood-shed. The ill-fated

lad was called Ikemefuna.”

Chinua Achebe, Things Fall Apart

Verbal IronyOccurs when a speaker or narrator says one thing

while meaning the opposite

E.A.P, “The Cask of Amontillado”

Montressor“Drink,” I said, presenting him the wine.Fortunato“I drink,” he said, “to the buried that repose around us.”Montressor“And I to your long life.”

Situational IronyOccurs when an event contradicts the expectations

of the characters or the reader.

“As the man who had cleared his throat drew up and raised his machete, Okonkwo looked away. He heard the blow. The pot fell and broke in the sand. He heard Ikemefuna cry, “My father, they

have killed me!” as he ran towards him. Dazed with fear, Okonkwo drew his machete and cut him down. “

Chinua Achebe, Things Fall Apart

My trunk is far too powerful,no sooner do I sneeze

than windows crack and shatterfrom the impact of the breeze.

Jack Prelutsky, “It’s Hard to Be an Elephant”

Meter: A pattern of stressed and unstressed

syllables in poetry.

Rhyme SchemeA consistent pattern of rhyme

throughout a poemBecause I could not stop for

Death, (a)He kindly stopped for me; (b)

The carriage held but just ourselves (a)

And Immortality. (b)We slowly drove, he knew no

haste, (c) And I had put away (c)

My labor, and my leisure too, (d)

For his civility. (b)Emily Dickinson, “Because I Could Not Stop for Death (712)

ThemeA writer’s central idea or main

message about life

Example Universal Themes/Ideas• Experience vs. Youth• The coexistence of good and evil• Coming of Age/ Loss of Innocence• The fall from grace and/or fortune

AllusionA reference to a well-known person, event, or place

The White

House

Secret Service

Code: OlympusWHY?

Symbol

Anything that represents itself and also stands for something else, figuratively

Tone

A writer or speaker’s attitude toward a

subject

Hyperbole (Exaggeration)

An exaggeration used to suggest strong emotion or create comic effect

Personification

A figure of speech that gives human qualities to an animal, object, or

ideaLuck let a gentleman seeJust how nice a dame you can beI know the way you’ve treated other guys you’ve been withLuck be a lady with me Frank Sinatra, “Luck Be a Lady”

Refrain

A regularly repeated line or group of lines in a poem or song, usually at the end of a stanza

“Quoth the raven,

‘Nevermore.’”

Repetition of initial consonant sounds in words that are close together

Alliteration

We let the world know we were here with everything we did. We laid a lot of memories down. Like tattoos on this town.

Jason Aldean, “Tattoos on this Town”

Imagery

A verbal expression of sensory experience; descriptive or figurative language used to create word pictures

Diction The writer’s choice of words that helps to

convey voice and tone (formal/informal)

Connotation

Associations and overtones of meaning that affect the meaning of a word/words

Extended Metaphor

A metaphor extended over several lines

Words whose sounds suggest their meaning

Rhyme

The repetition of sounds at the end of lines of poetry

ThemeCentral idea or message about life

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could To where it bent in the undergrowth. ~Frost

Anaphora

The repetition of same words (or group of words) at the beginning of 2 or more lines

I wanna go tanning,I wanna go tanning,I wanna go tanning.

AssonanceThe

repetition of similar vowel sounds with different consonant sounds

ConsonanceThe repetition of final consonant sounds

And it took so long just to feel alright,Remember how to put back the light in my eyes,I wish I had missed the first time that we kissed,‘Cause you broke all your promises.