Poetic & Literary Devices [worksheet]

Onomatopoeia

• Words that imitate the sound that they are naming.

• Words that describe emotions and feelings.

• Words that have similar meanings to other words.

• Words that are used to create rhymes.

Oxymoron

• A figure of speech in which contradictory terms appear in conjunction.

• A type of metaphor that compares two unlike things directly.

• A rhetorical device that exaggerates for emphasis.

• A phrase that contains a hidden meaning or symbolism.

Alliteration

• The repetition of the same vowel sound in nearby words.

• The occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words.

• A figure of speech that compares two unlike things.

• The use of exaggerated statements or claims for effect.

Assonance

• The repetition of consonant sounds within nearby words.

• The repetition of vowel sounds within nearby words.

• The use of similar sounding words at the end of lines.

• The arrangement of words to create a rhythmic effect.

Metaphor

• A comparison of two unlike things where one word is used to designate the other without using 'like' or 'as'.

• A figure of speech that makes a direct comparison using 'like' or 'as'.

• A type of analogy that explains a concept through a story.

• A rhetorical device that exaggerates for emphasis.

Imagery

• Descriptive language that appeals to the senses and creates a visual representation.

• A type of figurative language that uses exaggeration for emphasis.

• A narrative technique that focuses on character development.

• A form of poetry that does not rhyme.

Connotation

• The literal meaning of a word.

• The idea or feeling that a word invokes in addition to its literal meaning.

• A synonym for a word.

• The grammatical function of a word.

Personification

• Attributing human characteristics to non-human entities or objects.

• Describing objects using metaphors and similes.

• Creating a narrative with a non-linear timeline.

• Using exaggerated statements for emphasis.

Theme

• A recurring element in a story

• The central topic, subject, or message within a narrative.

• A character's journey throughout the story

• The setting where the story takes place

Hyperbole

• A type of metaphor used in poetry.

• An extreme exaggeration or overstatement; often used for emphasis.

• A literary device that involves a comparison between two unlike things.

• A form of understatement that minimizes the importance of something.