Poetic Devices

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What is a simile?

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A simile is a figure of speech that compares two different things using the words 'like' or 'as'. For example, 'as brave as a lion'.

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What is consonance?

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Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in close proximity within a sentence or phrase. For example, 'pitter patter'.

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What is a stanza?

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A stanza is a grouped set of lines in a poem, often separated by a space from other stanzas. It is similar to a paragraph in prose.

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What is onomatopoeia?

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Onomatopoeia is a poetic device where a word imitates the sound it represents, such as 'buzz', 'hiss', or 'clang'.

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What is alliteration?

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Alliteration is the repetition of the same initial consonant sound in a series of words, such as 'She sells sea shells by the sea shore'.

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What is a metaphor?

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A metaphor is a figure of speech that makes a direct comparison between two unlike things without using 'like' or 'as'. For example, 'Time is a thief'.

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What is assonance?

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Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds within nearby words, such as in the phrase 'Hear the lark and harken to the barking of the dark fox gone to ground'.

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What is hyperbole?

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Hyperbole is an exaggerated statement not meant to be taken literally, used for emphasis or effect. For example, 'I'm so hungry I could eat a horse'.

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What is personification?

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Personification is a literary device where human qualities are attributed to animals, inanimate objects, or abstract concepts. For example, 'The wind whispered through the trees'.

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What is imagery?

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Imagery is the use of descriptive language that appeals to the senses, creating vivid mental pictures. For example, 'The golden sun set behind the purple mountains'.