Figurative Language
“The classroom was a zoo” is an example of this device, where one thing is described as another.
Example line: “My backpack was a brick pulling me down.”
What is a metaphor?
This term refers to a group of lines in a poem, similar to a paragraph in prose.
Example line:
“Leaves fall softly
covering the path—
autumn whispers”
What is a stanza?
This is the voice or character telling the poem, who may not be the poet.
Example line: “I wait at the window, counting every car.”
What is the speaker?
This literary device compares two unlike things using “like” or “as.”
Example line: “The moon hung like a silver coin in the sky.”
What is a simile?
When a line of poetry runs on to the next line without punctuation, it is called this.
Example line:
“I thought I knew the way
until the road split in two”
What is enjambment?
The poet’s attitude toward the subject—such as playful, serious, or sarcastic—is known as this.
Example line: “Oh great, another perfect day to fail my test.”
What is tone?
When nonhuman things are given human qualities, poets use this technique.
Example line: “The angry storm punched the shore all night.”
What is personification?
This sound device repeats beginning consonant sounds in nearby words.
Example line: “Silent snow slips sideways.”
The emotional feeling created for the reader as they experience the poem is called this.
Example line: “Shadows stretched as silence filled the empty room.”
What is mood?
This device refers to something well known—such as a myth, historical event, or famous text—without directly explaining it.
Example line: “He flew too close to the sun, ignoring the melting wings.”
What is allusion?
The repetition of similar ending sounds, especially at the ends of lines, is known as this.
Example line:
“The night is deep, the stars are bright,
I wish upon their distant light.”
What is rhyme?
This occurs when there is a contrast between what is expected and what actually happens or is meant.
Example line: “The fire station burned down last night.”
What is irony?
Words that imitate sounds help create vivid imagery through this literary term.
Example line: “The bacon sizzled—pop, crackle, hiss!”
What is onomatopoeia?
This term refers to the descriptive language that appeals to the senses—sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch.
Example line: “Warm bread scented the air, golden and sweet.”
What is sensory imagery?
The central idea or message about life or human nature revealed in a poem is this.
Example line: “No matter how far I roam, home still calls my name.”
What is theme?