Technique definitions
A comparison by stating that one thing is another or does the actions of another. It does not use 'like' or 'as'.
Metaphor
What is repetition?
The purposeful re-use of words and phrases to create emphasis or convey a particular effect.
The barbarians broke through the barricade.
Alliteration
A group of lines arranged in a poem (similar to a paragraph).
Stanza
What is onomatopoeia
Words that imitate the natural sound of the thing they describe.
The desert was as dry as a bone.
Simile
Words that have different beginning sounds but whose endings sound alike
Rhyme
What is symbolism?
When a simple or ordinary object, event, animal, or person represents deeper meaning or significance.
The days crept by slowly, sorrowfully.
Personification
The vantage point of the speaker. In poetry, this is also sometimes referred to as the persona.
Point of view
What is rhythm?
Rhythm is when words are arranged according to stressed and unstressed syllables so that they make a pattern or beat. Rhythm helps to distinguish poetry from prose.
The shimmering sun bounced waves of light off the surface of the ocean.
Imagery
The pattern established by the arrangement of rhymes in a stanza or poem
Rhyme scheme
What is theme?
This is what the poem is all about. The theme of the poem is the central idea that the poet wants to convey. It can be a story, or a thought, or a description of something or someone.
I waited for an eternity
Hyperbole