Poetic Terms and Devices

Speaker

The speaker is the voice of the poem. Although the speaker is often the

poet, he/she may also be a fictional character/entity or object

Interpreting a poem often depends on recognizing who the speaker is, whom the speaker is addressing, and what the speaker’s tone or attitude is.

Diction

A writer’s or speaker’s word choice.

Part of a writer’s style- can be informal, plain, technical, etc.

Denotation

The objective meaning of a word, independent of other associations that the word may bring to mind.

The dictionary definition

Connotation

An association that a word calls to mind in addition to the dictionary definition.

Figurative Language

Writing or speech not to be taken literally.

Vivid and imaginative writing

Simile

A figure of speech comparing two things using like or as

Ex: Her teeth were as white as pearls.

Metaphor

A figure of speech in which one thing is spoken of as though it were something else

A comparison between 2 unlike things not using like or as

ex: All the world is a stage

Implied Metaphor

A more subtle comparison; the terms being compared are not so specifically explained

Ex: Regular Metaphor: Keith was a mule, standing his ground when it came to the debate.

Implied: Keith brayed his refusal to concede when it came to the debate.

Personification

A figure of speech in which an object, animal, or ideas is given a human trait.

Ex: Sarah felt kissed by the rain Liberty rang through the streets

The candy bar called softly to the dieter

Symbol

Anything that stands for or represents something else.

Rhythm

The pattern of beats or stresses, in spoken or written language.

Prose and free verse are written in the irregular rhythmical patterns of everyday speech

Onomatopoeia

The use of words that imitate sounds Ex: buzz, hiss, murmur

Alliteration

The repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words or accented syllables.

Assonance

The repetition of vowel sounds in conjunction with dissimilar consonant sounds.

Ex: “The mountain at a given distance”

Allusion

A reference to a well known person, place, event, literary work, work of art or music.

By using allusions writers can bring to mind complex ideas simply and easily.

Biblical allusions, mythological allusions, geographical allusion etc.

Free Verse

Poetry that lacks regular rhythmical pattern or meter.

A writer of free verse is at liberty to use any rhythms, that are appropriate to what they are saying.

Ex:I climb the black rock mountain

stepping from day to daysilently.

Tone

The writer’s attitude towards his or her own subject