Challenging Figurative Language
Identify the technique: ‘Hope is the thing with feathers / That perches in the soul.
Metaphor
A poet describes ‘shadows creeping across the floor’. What mood is suggested and what technique is used?
The mood is ominous or mysterious, and the technique is imagery (possibly personification).
Name the sound technique: ‘The snake slithered silently.’
Sibilance
What is the effect of using visual and tactile imagery in: ‘The icy blade of night sliced the silence’?
It creates a vivid, sensory experience, emphasising danger or discomfort.
How can an ambiguous tone affect the interpretation of a poem?
It leaves room for multiple meanings, creating uncertainty or stimulating deeper analysis.
When a poet describes ‘the angry storm snarled and spit’, which literary technique is being used?
Personification
In a poem, the repetition of ‘never’ at the beginning of several lines creates what effect? Technique?
It emphasises hopelessness, despair or finality; technique is anaphora.
How does onomatopoeia enhance reader engagement with a poem? Give an example.
It mimics real sounds to add realism; e.g., ‘buzz’ of bees.
Identify the symbolism: ‘A red rose lay wilting on the ground'. What could it represent?
The rose typically symbolises love, and wilting may represent lost or fading love.
What technique is at work when the poet appears to praise something but actually criticises it?
Irony (would accept sardonic tone).
A clever comparison that is sustained across multiple lines or stanzas in a poem.
Extended Metaphor.
How does the use of enjambment influence the way a reader engages with poetic meaning?
It encourages the reader to move quickly from one line to the next, creating urgency or continuity; sometimes causes ambiguity and suspense.
What’s the difference between consonance and assonance? Identify both in the phrase ‘the mellow yellow bells fell.
Assonance: ‘e’ sound in ‘bells’ and ‘fell’; consonance: ‘ll’ in ‘yellow, bells, fell’.
Explain how poets use synecdoche and give an example.
Synecdoche substitutes a part for the whole, e.g., ‘All hands on deck’ (hands = sailors).
How does the use of negative imagery influence the overall mood of a poem?
It creates a sombre, dark, or pessimistic atmosphere
Name the device: ‘I wandered lonely as a cloud.’ Explain what it achieves.
Simile - Up to Mr Fayers.
A speaker addresses an inanimate object or absent person in a poem. Name the technique and suggest its effect.
Apostrophe
Up to Mr. Fayers
Identify two literary techniques in this line: ‘Her smile was a shining beacon in the dark night.’
Metaphor and Visual Imagery
What is the term for a recurring object, theme or idea within a poem that helps develop theme? Provide an example.
Motif; e.g., repeated references to ‘light’ as a symbol of hope
Identify the mood conveyed: ‘Beneath the weight of distant stars, my soul lies heavy and slow.’ List one supporting technique.
The mood is melancholic; techniques include imagery (‘weight of distant stars’) or metaphor.
Identify two literary techniques used together: ‘The wind whispered weak and wild.’ Explain their effect
Alliteration and Personification
Up to Mr. Fayers
Explain how a poet’s choice of connotative language, rather than denotative, affects the reader’s interpretation.
Connotative language evokes emotions or ideas beyond the literal meaning, leading to richer, more layered interpretations and personal connections.
How does rhythm contribute to the overall effect of a poem? Provide an example of a rhythmic pattern.
Rhythm creates musicality and pace that affects mood and emphasis...Up to Mr Fayers
In poetry, how can a simple image also represent a bigger idea? Give an example of a common symbol from poetry or everyday life
When an image represents something beyond its literal meaning, such as a dove symbolizing peace or a red rose symbolizing love.
When a poem changes from a joyful mood in the first stanza to a sad mood in the next, what effect does this have on the reader? Technique?
It creates contrast and can make the emotions more powerful or highlight important changes in the poem’s meaning or perspective. Juxtaposition