Poetic Devices

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What is Personification?

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When something inhuman (inanimate, animal, or even an idea) is given human-like qualities. Example: 'The smiling sun.'

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What is Hyperbole?

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Exaggeration. When something is made out to be a lot greater than it is. Example: 'It's a million degrees in here!'

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What is Alliteration?

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The repetition of the same initial consonant sound in a series of words. Example: 'Green goldfish grow on grapes.'

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What is a Metaphor?

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A figure of speech that makes a comparison between two unlike things without using 'like' or 'as.' Example: 'Your brain is a computer.'

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What is Free Verse?

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A poem that contains lines with no pattern or structure.

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What is Simile?

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A figure of speech that compares two different things using 'like' or 'as.' Example: 'As brave as a lion.'

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What is Rhyme?

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The repetition of similar sounds in two or more words, often at the end of lines in poems. Example: 'cat' and 'hat.'

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What is Imagery?

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Descriptive language that appeals to the senses and creates a visual representation in the reader's mind. Example: 'The golden sun set over the calm, blue sea.'

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What is Onomatopoeia?

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A word that phonetically imitates, resembles, or suggests the sound it describes. Example: 'buzz,' 'hiss,' or 'clang.'

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What is Assonance?

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The repetition of vowel sounds within nearby words. Example: 'The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain.'