Poetry Literary Techniques & Vocabulary Lesson

&

Vocabulary

Poetry
Literary
Techniques

Introduction

They must

sound right to

the listener as

they are read

out aloud.

They must be

arranged in a

way that is

easy to follow

but also assists

the reader's

understanding.

They must

encourage deep

thoughtsor

emotions while

appearing simple

and

self-contained.

They must have a

meaning which is

clear and

thought-provoking.

Poets use special techniques to tell us a story or provide a message in

poems. Poets only have words to express feelings and emotions.

Layers of Meaning

Part 1 - The Sounds of Words

Part 3 - The Arrangement of Words

Part 2 - The Meaning of Words

Part 4 - The Imagery of Words

Contents

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Copyright © 2023 by School District of Palm Beach County, Department of Multicultural Education

Butterflies in
my stomach.

What does it mean to have
butterflies in my stomach?

Copyright © 2023 by School District of Palm Beach County, Department of Multicultural Education

Understanding layers on meaning in poetry

Literal meaning

or dictionary

definition of the

words.

Butterflies in
my stomach.

Copyright © 2023 by School District of Palm Beach County, Department of Multicultural Education

Understanding layers on meaning in poetry

Deeper meaning
is literary devices

and feelings

behind the words.

Butterflies are compared to
____________________.
It makes us feel _______________.

Butterflies in
my stomach.

Copyright © 2023 by School District of Palm Beach County, Department of Multicultural Education

Understanding layers on meaning in poetry

The writer’s attitude

towards the

subject. The effect
it gives the reader.

The author compares the
movement in our the stomach
with _____________________.

Butterflies in
my stomach.

Copyright © 2023 by School District of Palm Beach County, Department of Multicultural Education

Understanding layers on meaning in poetry

The author’s reason
for writing and the

the message.

The author uses figurative

language to create an effect.

Butterflies in
my stomach.

Copyright © 2023 by School District of Palm Beach County, Department of Multicultural Education

Literal Meaning

Writers use literal meaning to

express ideas exactly as they are

defined in the dictionary. The text

means exactly what it says.

There was a lot of snow in the quiet forest.

Figurative Meaning

Writers use figurative language to create

a visual image or sound effect. This

language is more impactful.

The text does not mean what is says.

The white blanket covered the sleeping forest.

Certain words can be selected and grouped together to achieve specific

effects when we hear them. The sounds that are created might sound

pleasing or soothing, clever or rhythmic, or harsh and uncomfortable to hear.

The following poetic devices can affect the way a poem sounds when read

aloud. It's important to remember that these deliberate arrangements of

words can convey a particular sense of mood, atmosphere or emotion.

The Sounds of

Words

Part 1

Repeatedconsonant sounds at the beginning of

words placed near each other or next to each

other.

Alliteration

• Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled

peppers.

• Slim-pinioned swallows sweep and

pass.

• The barbarians broke through the

barricade.

Repeatedvowel sounds in words placed near

each other, usually on the same or adjacent

lines.

Assonance

• I feel stressed and restless.

• The dapper lad chatted to the other

happy chap.

• Johnny went here and there and

everywhere.

• Go slow over the road to nowhere.

Words that imitate the natural sound of the

thing they describe.

Onomatopoeia

• The clang of the pots and pans and woke

the baby.

• The wolves howled at the moon.

• Zoom! Went the race car as it sped past the

finish line.

• The bacon sizzled in the pan.

The purposeful re-use of words and phrases to

create emphasis or convey a particular effect.

Repetition

• I will not brush my hair, I will not wear a

dress and I will not clean my room

• We have so much stuff but still buy more

stuff then need storage units to store all the

stuff.

Rhythm is when words are arranged according to stressed and

unstressed syllables so that they make a pattern or beat. Verses

might contain a certain number of syllables to create this pattern.

Rhythm helps to distinguish poetry from prose (other texts).

You can usually hear rhythm if you hum the words instead of

saying them.

Rhythm

Rhyme & Rhyme Scheme

Rhyme refers to words that have different beginning sounds but whose

endings sound alike, including the final vowel sound and everything

following it.

Rhyme scheme refers to the pattern established by the arrangement of

rhymes in a stanza or poem, generally described by using letters of the

alphabet to denote the recurrence of rhyming lines.

Capital letters in the alphabetic rhyme scheme are used for the repeating

rhyming words at the end of each verse. The letters X and Y indicate

unrhymed lines. In quatrains, the popular rhyme scheme of ABAB is called

alternate rhyme or cross rhyme and the ABBA scheme is called envelope

rhyme.

A word can be carefully selected to convey a precise idea but

some words can carry several layers or depths of meaning at the

same time. Poets can use these or combine them with other words

for particular effects.

Some techniques that can enhance the meaning of words are as

follows.

The Meanings of

Words

Part 2

Creates a comparison between two things

by using the words 'like' or 'as'.

Simile

• The desert was as dry as a bone.

• Her tempers were like an uncontrollable

storm.

• He's as cool as a cucumber.

• Rain plastered the land until it was

shining like hammered lead.

Creates a comparison by stating that one

thing is another or does the actions of

another.

Metaphor

• The wind was a torrent of darkness among

the gusty trees.

• Her fingers danced across the keyboard.

• His stomach was a twisted storm of

butterflies.

Attributing human characteristics to an

inanimate object, animal, or abstract

idea.

Personification

• As I climbed the stairs, the staircase

groaned as if awoken from a long

sleep.

• The days crept by slowly, sorrowfully.

• Seaweed snatched at his legs as he

tried to swim away.

When a simple or ordinary object, event,

animal, or person represents deeper

meaning or significance.

Symbolism

• The dove is a symbol of peace.

• A red rose stands for love or romance.

• A skull can represent danger or death.

• A fork in the road may symbolise a choice

or a decision.

Connotations are the ideas or feelings evoked by a word.

These are the implications or associations we might form

which are different to a word's literal meaning.

Word Choice & Connotation

E.g. The words ‘animal’ and ‘beast’ refer to the same

type of creature but the word ‘beast’ has

connotations of wildness and savagery.

E.g. The words ‘house’ and ‘home’ have the same

denotation but the word ‘home’ has connotations of

warmth, family, safety, belonging etc.

Paradox

Other Language Features

A statement which seems

contradictory but may reveal an

unexpected truth.

• You’ve got to be cruel to be kind

• I can resist anything but

temptation

• The only constant is change

Oxymoron

A combination of two words that

appear to contradict each other.

• Bittersweet

• Clearly confused

• Seriously funny

• Deafening silence

Euphemism

An understatement, used to lessen

the effect of a statement that might

sound harsh, offensive or hurtful.

• She is at rest

• I need to use the ladies room

• I'm currently between jobs

• She's a late bloomer

Idiom

Other Language Features

A group of words established by

usage as having a meaning not

deducible from those of the

individual words.

• I was over the moon.

• Put in some elbow grease.

• She was sitting on the fence.

• I have my finger on the pulse.

Metonym

A figure of speech in which a

person, place or thing is referred to

by something closely associated

with it.

• The pen is mightier than the

sword.

• Wall Street braces for further rate

rises.

Allusion

A brief reference to a person,

historical event, biblical or

mythological situation or character.

• I thought the software would be

useful, but it was a Trojan Horse.

• Chocolate cake is my

kryptonite.

The poet decides on how the words are arranged into a certain

order or sequence to achieve a particular effect. The structure of

the poem can also contribute to its overall meaning.

Some words used to identify the structure and arrangement of a

poem are as follows.

The Arrangement

of Words

Part 3

The vantage point of the speaker. In poetry, this is also

sometimes referred to as the persona.

Point of View

• First person – the speaker is a character in the story or poem and

tells it from his/her perspective (uses “I”).

• Second person - an unusual form of storytelling that addresses the

reader directly (uses “you”)

• Third person limited – the speaker is not part of the story, but tells

about the other characters through the limited perceptions of one

other person (uses “he”, “she” or “they”)

• Third person omniscient – the speaker is not part of the story, but is

able to “know” and describe what all characters are thinking

(uses “he”, “she” or “they”)

A verse is one single line of a poem arranged in a metrical

pattern.

A stanza is a group of verses where the lines are arranged

into a unit and often repeated in the same pattern

throughout the poem (similar to a paragraph).

Poems are made up of multiple verses and stanzas and

poets can make particular choices in the length and

number of verses and stanzas for various purposes.

Verses & Stanzas

When lines or verses have incomplete syntax and the meaning runs

over from one poetic line to the next without punctuation.

It might be used for the following reasons:

• fosters fluidity to allow a more narrative-like style within a poem as

thoughts aren't confined to a single verse

• increases the pace or momentum by eliminating pauses at each

line break so the reader continues onto the next verse more

quickly

• moves the reader forward to reach the resolution of the poet's

thought sooner

Enjambment

Free Verse - Poetry that lacks a consistent

rhyme scheme, metrical pattern, or musical

form.

Poetic Forms

Sonnet - A 14 line poem, typically on the

topic of love that contains internal rhymes

within their lines.

Limerick - A 5 line poem that consists of a

single stanza, an AABBA rhyme scheme, and

focuses on a short tale or description, often

humorous.

Ballad - A form of narrative verse that can be

either poetic or musical. It typically follows a

pattern of rhymed quatrains.

Blank Verse - Poetry written with a precise

meter (almost always iambic pentameter)

that does not rhyme.

Rhymed poetry - In contrast to blank verse,

these poems rhyme although their rhyme

scheme can vary.

Imagery that calls upon our sense of sight.

Visual Imagery

The shimmering sun bounced waves of

light off the surface of the ocean.

Imagery that calls upon our sense of sound.

Aural Imagery

She could hear the gentle whisper of the

breeze and the chirping of the birds.

Imagery that calls upon our sense of smell.

Olfactory Imagery

E.g. The sticky sweet scent of cinnamon

donuts wafted in the air.

Imagery that calls upon our sense of touch.

Tactile Imagery

She could still taste the salty sea water

on her lips.

Imagery that calls upon our sense of taste.

Gustatory Imagery

E.g. The grass prickled his skin as he lay

on the sports ground.

Imagery that calls upon our sense of

movement.

Kinesthetic Imagery

Tripping and stumbling she lurched

towards the traitor with her arms

outstretched.

Thank you!

Elements Used: