Using the word like in poetry

Presentation on theme: «Similes and Metaphors in Poetry. Similes Similes are comparisons that use the word like or as Similes help the reader connect with the writing Ex: The.»— Presentation transcript:

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Similes and Metaphors in Poetry

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Similes Similes are comparisons that use the word like or as Similes help the reader connect with the writing Ex: The clouds were as fluffy as cotton.

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Examples of Similes  “cute as a kitten,” comparing the way someone looks to the way a kitten looks  “as busy as a bee” comparing someone’s level of energy to a fast-flying bee  «as snug as a bug in a rug» comparing someone who is very cozy to how comfortable a bug can be in a rug  «as happy as a clam» comparing someone’s happiness to the contentment of a clam  «Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get.» comparing the uncertainty of life to the uncertainty of choosing a chocolate from a box  «as blind as a bat» indicating that the person cannot see any better than a bat

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Let’s try some that are harder!  My love is like…  You were as brave as …  They fought like…  He is as funny as…  This house is as clean as…  Her eyes glistened like…  The rose petals are as delicate as…  That is as easy as…  They are as different as…  She is as sweet as…  He is as tough as…  Her stomach growled like…  The rain hit the ground like…

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Simile Poems- Denise Rogers  Your teeth are like stars;  They come out at night .They come back at dawn  When they’re ready to bite. “Your feet smell so bad Just like limburger cheese That I’m holding my nose tight Between my two knees.”

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Similes and Metaphors in The Hunger Games  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Mz_AT6AeB0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Mz_AT6AeB0

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Make your own Poetry Follow this pattern: A title Three similes about the title (lines 1-3) A statement about the title (line 4) The title repeated (line 5) Describe: Someone: Pick a person close to you, and choose a certain characteristic of theirs. What does it remind you of? What could you compare it to?

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Cats  Eyes like emeralds  Beautiful as jewels  Claws like hooks  Prowling for the kill-  Cats  By Andrew James

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Make Your Own Poetry Describe: Something: Pick a personal item, and think about it carefully. What does it remind you of? What could you compare it to?

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Metaphors  Make a comparison without using the words like or as  Ex: The sky is an ocean  Ex: Coffee is life  Ex: Running is happiness  Ex: The moon is a ghostly galleon tossed about clouded seas. (John Masefield)

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Taking My Pen for a Walk  Tonight I took the leash off my pen. At first it was frightened, looked up at me with confused eyes, tongue panting. Then I said, ‘Go on, run away,’ and pushed its head. Still it wasn’t sure what I wanted; it whimpered with its tail between its legs. So I yelled, ‘You’re free, why don’t you run — you stupid pen, you should be glad. Now get out of my sight.’ It took a few steps. I stamped my foot and threw a stone. Suddenly, it realised what I was saying and began to run furiously away from me.  -Julie O’Callaghan What extended metaphor is the author making in this poem?

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Extended Metaphor?  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFRNHZISQsA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFRNHZISQsA  It has been said that “Haunted” could be an extended metaphor for The Hunger Games. Remember, an extended metaphor develops a comparison between 2 things over a series of sentences.  After watching this video, be prepared to tell me what comparisons the movie and song have.

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Metaphors in everyday life  I was boiling with anger  I had my heart in my mouth  The car was traveling at a snail’s pace

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Simile and metaphor review video  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoSBVNUO2LU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoSBVNUO2LU

Students and teachers take time not only to study famous poets and poems, but also various types of poems and techniques used by poets. Here are 9 Common Techniques Used in Poetry.

April is National Poetry Month!

#1 Rhyming

Rhyming is the most obvious poetic technique used. It helps to make poems flow.

Poems do not have to rhyme, however; there are many poems that are free verse—a style that allows poets the flexibility to write their thoughts and ideas without the constraint of following a particular rhyming pattern.

There are several different rhyming patterns and schemes. Which one a poet uses will depend on the topic, style, and theme of the poem.

#2 Repetition

Repetition involves repeating a line or a word several times in a poem.

Poets use this to emphasize a point, to bring attention to a particular item or theme, to achieve a particular effect, or to provoke an emotional reaction from the reader.

#3 Onomatopoeia

Onomatopoeia is not an easy word to say or spell, but it is one of the most fun and common techniques used in poetry.

Onomatopoeia is simply the use of a word that imitates a sound, like bam, crash, boom, splash.

Words like these appeal to the reader’s senses and bring the reader into the poem.

#4 Alliteration

Alliteration involves the use of two or more words that begin with the same sound.

For example, “The drizzling, drippy drain drove me crazy.” Alliteration is a great way to grab the reader’s attention at a particular moment in the poem.

It also provides the poet an opportunity to describe things in a creative way that is memorable to the reader.

#5 Assonance

Assonance is when vowel sounds are repeated in two or more words that are close to each other in the poem and have different consonants.

An example of this would be “The octopus flopped on the cot – kerplop!” Several words in the example contain the short “o” sound, but the words contain different consonants.

#6 Simile

Similes are a type of figurative language that compare an object, person, or event to something else.

They help readers to better understand the characteristics of something by showing a relationship between the two things.

Similes use the words “like” or “as” in the comparison, such as “The dog ran as fast as a race car.” Or “His words cut through my heart like a knife.”

#7 Metaphor

Like similes, metaphors show the relationship or commonality between two objects or actions.

Unlike similes, however, metaphors do not contain the words “like” or “as” in the comparison.

In addition, metaphors describe the object or action in a non-literal way.

In other words, metaphors equate two objects or actions just for the sake of comparing, even though the two things are not literally the same.

Some examples of metaphors would be “The shark’s teeth were daggers ripping through flesh.” Or “Her hair was a winding path of intrigue.”

#8 Hyperbole

Among other techniques used in poetry, Hyperbole is the use of exaggeration in a text. This can be used for emphasis or humor, such as “He practiced for a million hours.”

#9 Symbolism

Symbolism is when a poet uses objects, colors, sounds, or places to represent something else.

For instance, snakes are often associated with evil, while white doves are related to peace.

These are only a few of the techniques that have been used by poets past and present.

They provide a wide variety of options for a poet to develop a unique style while expressing his or her thoughts and ideas to readers.

The next time you read a poem, see how many techniques you can identify!

Read also: Best Practices for Remote Assessment

By Angela Padrón

Use the words (A−D) from Ex.2a to complete the gaps (1−4) in the poem. Listen and check.

While reading a poem, a story or some literary work you may have come across words like meow, woof, woosh, splash, shush, boom, ding-dong, knock and many other words mimicking the sound of thing or actions.

These types of sound-mimicking words are termed onomatopoeia, a common literary device used by writers. Onomatopoeia also helps readers to hear what is happening in a story or poetry.

An onomatopoeia is a word that mimics or imitates the sound of the thing that it describes or referring to.

In poetry and literature, onomatopoeia words help writers in making their writing alive in the reader’s imagination by giving it a feel, expression, and atmosphere creating vivid imagery of that literary work.

Related: 80 Examples of Onomatopoeia: Words List

Onomatopoeia words have often been used in poetry and literature to describe–

• Animal sounds – meow (cat), moo (cow), roar (lion), woof (dog), baa (sheep), buzz (bee), ribbit (frog), quack (duck), cock-a-doodle-do (roosters) etc.

• Nature sounds – splash, woosh, rustle, drip, swoosh, gasp, whizz, whip, sprinkle, drizzle, etc.

• Sounds of voices – shush, ahem, chatter, whisper, hiss, growl, giggle, groan, murmur, mumble, etc.

• Impact Sounds – boom, bang, thump, thud, crash, clang, clank, clatter, smash, etc.

• Action sounds – ding-dong, fizz, boing, click, knock, crunch, scratch, etc.

To give you an easily understood example of onomatopoeia, let’s have a look at this popular nursery rhyme ”Baa, Baa, Black Sheep” by Mother Goose-

Baa, baa, black sheep

Have you any wool?

Yes sir, yes sir, three bags full.

In the first line of this famous nursery rhyme, you can see the use of the onomatopoeia word ”baa” which describes the sound a sheep makes and to your knowledge, every animal sound that writers put in words is the form of onomatopoeia.

Read the below examples of onomatopoeia in poetry and literature. For your convenience, the onomatopoeic words have been bolded and underlined in every example.

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1. “The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe

Examples of onomatopoeia in the poem, The Raven, can be found in these extracts from the poem-

While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,

As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door—

“‘Tis some visitor,” I muttered, “tapping at my chamber door—

Only this and nothing more.”

This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word, “Lenore!”—

 Merely this and nothing more.

Read ”The Raven” full poem her

Edgar Allan Poe was considered the master of onomatopoeia and in his poem ”The Raven”, Poe brings onomatopoeia in his poetry by repeating the words ”tapping” and ”rapping” which describes the sound at the door. He repeats these two onomatopoeic words many times in the poem. Poe also used direct onomatopoeic words like ”muttered”, ”whispered” and ”murmured” in the poem.

2. “Come Down, O Maid” by Alfred Lord Tennyson

Examples of onomatopoeia in the poem, Come Down,- O Maid, can be found in the below extract from the poem-

The moan of doves in immemorial elms,

And murmuring of innumerable bees.

Read ”Come Down, O Maid” full poem here

In the last two lines of his poem, Tennyson uses clear and direct onomatopoeia words ”moan” and ”murmuring” to bring onomatopoeia in his poetry.

3. “Cynthia in the Snow” by Gwendolyn Brooks

Examples of onomatopoeia in the poem, Cynthia in the Snow, can be found in the below onomatopoeic words-

It shushes.

It hushes

The loudness in the road.

It flitter-twitters,

And laughs away from me.

It laughs a lovely whiteness,

And whitely whirs away,

To be

Some Otherwhere,

Still white as milk or shirts,

So beautiful it hurts.

In his poem ”Cynthia in the Snow”, Gwendolyn Brooks is talking about snow and the changes first snowfall brings to the atmosphere of the land. While using the onomatopoeic words like ”shushes” and ”hushes” for snow, Brooks is telling us how snow made everyone stay inside leaving the land silent and full of its whiteness. He also personifies the snow by saying ”it laughs a lovely whiteness” adding another literary device in his poem.

4. “The Weary Blues” by Langston Hughes

Examples of onomatopoeia in the poem, The Weary Blues, can be found in the below extract from the poem-

I heard that Negro sing, that old piano moan—

“Ain’t got nobody in all this world,

Ain’t got nobody but ma self.

I’s gwine to quit ma frownin’

And put ma troubles on the shelf.”

Thump, thump, thump, went his foot on the floor.

He played a few chords then he sang some more—

Read ”The Weary Blues” full poem here

In his poem ”The Weary Blues”, Langston Hughes uses the onomatopoeic word ”thump” to present the sound of a singer’s foot hitting the floor.

5. “The Pied Piper of Hamelin” by Robert Browning

Examples of onomatopoeia in the poem, The Pied Piper of Hamelin, can be found in the below extracts from the poem-

Only a scraping of shoes on the mat?

Anything like the sound of a rat

Makes my heart go pit-a-pat!

You heard as if an army muttered;

And the muttering grew to a grumbling;

And the grumbling grew to a mighty rumbling;

And out of the houses the rats came tumbling.

“There was a rustling that seemed like a bustling

Of merry crowds justling at pitching and hustling,

Small feet were pattering, wooden shoes clattering,

Little hands clapping and little tongues chattering,

And, like fowls in a farm-yard when barley is scattering…”

Read ”The Pied Piper of Hamelin” full poem here

This poem by Robert Browning tells the story of a rat’s invasion in a town called Hamelin, and the whole poem is full of many onomatopoeic words coming frequently in the poem describing the rat’s problem.

6. “Honky Tonk in Cleveland, Ohio” by Carl Sandburg

Examples of onomatopoeia in the poem, Honky Tonk in Cleveland,- Ohio, can be found in the below extract from the poem-

It’s a jazz affair, drum crashes and cornet razzes.

The trombone pony neighs and the tuba jackass snorts.

The banjo tickles and titters too awful.

The chippies talk about the funnies in the papers.

The cartoonists weep in their beer.

Read ”Honky Tonk in Cleveland, Ohio” full poem here

In this poem, the poet Carl Sandburg (also the winner of Pulitzer Prizes for his poetry) is describing the atmosphere of a jazz bar. He uses different onomatopoeic words to recreate the sounds of instruments being played in the bar along will the noises of people describing what else happening in the bar.

7. “The Bells” by Edgar Allan Poe

Examples of onomatopoeia in the poem, The Bells, can be found in the below extracts from the poem-

To the tintinabulation that so musically wells

From the bells, bells, bells, bells,

Bells, bells, bells—

From the jingling and the tinkling of the bells.

How they clang, and clash, and roar!

What a horror they outpour

On the bosom of the palpitating air!

Yet the ear it fully knows,

By the twanging,

And the clanging,

How the danger ebbs and flows;

Yet the ear distinctly tells,

In the jangling,

And the wrangling.”

To the throbbing of the bells—

Of the bells, bells, bells—

To the sobbing of the bells;

To the moaning and groaning of the bells

Read ”The Bells” full poem here

This poem is all about Bells where Poe describes the sounds of four different kinds of bells. In the poem, the word ”bells” has been repeated 62 times in such coordination that it creates onomatopoeia in the poem. In every stanza of the poem, Poe has used different onomatopoeia words to establish a specific mood.

8. “Meeting at Night” by Robert Browning

Examples of onomatopoeia in the poem, Meeting at Night, can be found in the below extract from the poem-

As I gain the cove with pushing prows,

And quench its speed i’the slushy sand.

A tap at the pane, the quick sharp scratch

And blue spurt of a lighted match…

Read ”Meeting at the Night” full poem here

In this poem, Browning is telling the story of a sea journey taken by the speaker at midnight to meet the person he is in love with. The poet’s use of onomatopoeic words like ”slushy”, ”tap”, ”scratch” and ”spurt” very well describes the feeling of a boat sailing in the sea.

9. “Rain Dance Poem” by Victoria Reome

Examples of onomatopoeia in the poem, Rain Dance Poem, can be found in the below extract from the poem-

“When a poem is born

What is the chance

Of words in rain

Drip drop dance

Ping ting sing

Pitter patter rhyme

Rain dance acceleration

Makes my poem climb

Dribble drench drizzle

Thinking on the fence

Sprinkle splish splash

Bring balance to my sense”

In this poem, the poet talks about the rain and describes raining as a rain dance. The poet’s use of onomatopoeic words like ”drip”, ”drizzle”, ”splish”, ”splash” is describing the sound of the rain.

10. “I heard a Fly buzz- when I die” by Emily Dickinson

Examples of onomatopoeia in the poem, I heard a Fly buzz, can be found in the below extract from the poem-

I heard a Fly buzz – when I died –

The Stillness in the Room

Was like the Stillness in the Air –

Between the Heaves of Storm –

Read ”I heard a Fly buzz- When I die” full poem here

In this poem, Emily Dickinson is describing the atmosphere around a deathbed. She uses a single onomatopoeic word that is ”buzz” in the poem to describe the buzzing sound of the fly that is cutting the silent air around the speaker’s deathbed and it is also the last thing she hears before her death.

11. “On the Ning Nang Nong” by Spike Milligan

Examples of onomatopoeia in the poem, On the Ning Nang Nong, can be found in the below extract from the poem-

On the Ning Nang Nong 

Where the Cows go Bong! 

and the monkeys all say BOO! 

There’s a Nong Nang Ning  

Where the trees go Ping! 

And the tea pots jibber jabber joo.

On the Nong Ning Nang

All the mice go Clang…

Read ”On the Ning Nang Nong” full poem here

In this children’s poem, the poet talks about an imaginary place called Ning Nang Nong. Milligan uses different onomatopoeic words to describe the noises anyone can expect to hear at that imaginary place.

12. “Running Water” by Lee Emmett

Examples of onomatopoeia in the poem, Running Water, can be found in the below extract from the poem-

“water plops into pond

splish-splash downhill

warbling magpies in tree

trilling, melodic thrill

whoosh, passing breeze

flags flutter and flap

frog croaks, bird whistles

babbling bubbles from tap”

In this poem, the poet is talking about the water that is running downhill, into the pond, and from other places like house tap. The poet is using onomatopoeic words like ”splish-splash”, ”woosh”, ”flutter”, and ”flap” describing air sounds and water sounds in the poem.

13. “Piano” by D.H Lawrence

Examples of onomatopoeia in the poem, Piano, can be found in the below extract from the poem-

Softly, in the dusk, a woman is singing to me;

Taking me back down the vista of years, till I see

A child sitting under the piano, in the boom of the tingling strings

And pressing the small, poised feet of a mother who smiles as she sings.

Read ”Piano” full poem here

In this poem, the poet describes the feeling of the moment when he was listening to a woman playing piano which made him think about his childhood memories and get nostalgic. The poet uses onomatopoeic words like ”boom” and ”tingling” in presenting the feelings of his childhood good-old memories.

14. “The Highwayman” by Alfred Noyes

Examples of onomatopoeia in the poem, The Highwayman, can be found in the below extracts from the poem-

Over the cobbles he clattered and clashed in the dark inn-yard.

He tapped with his whip on the shutters, but all was locked and barred. 

Tlot-tlot; tlot-tlot! Had they heard it? The horsehoofs ringing clear;   

Tlot-tlot; tlot-tlot, in the distance? Were they deaf that they did not hear?

In this poem, ”Tlot-tlot” describing the repeated sound of the horse hooves is an invented sound word by Alfred Noyes that is onomatopoeic and creates great onomatopoeia in the poem along with other onomatopoeic words like ”clattered”, ”clashed”, and ”tapped”.

15. “Fossils” by Ogden Nash

Examples of onomatopoeia in the poem, Fossils, can be found in the below extract from the poem-

At midnight in the museum hall

The fossils gathered for a ball

There were no drums or saxophones,

But just the clatter of their bones,

A rolling, rattling, carefree circus

Of mammoth polkas and mazurkas.

Read ”Fossils” full poem here

In this imaginary poem, the poet uses onomatopoeic words like ”clatter”, ”rolling”, and ”rattling” to describe the sound coming from the bones of the fossils gathered for a ball.

16. “The Tempest” by William Shakespeare

Examples of onomatopoeia in the play, The Tempest, can be found in the below extract from the poem-

“Hark, hark!

Bow-wow.

The watch-dogs bark!

Bow-wow.

Hark, hark! I hear

The strain of strutting chanticleer

Cry, ‘cock-a-diddle-dow!’”

In these lines, Shakespeare uses onomatopoeic words to describe some animal noises like ”wow-wow” describing the bark of a dog and ”cock-a-diddle-dow” describing the sound made by a rooster.

17. “Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare

Examples of onomatopoeia in the tragedy, Romeo and Juliet, can be found in the below extract from the play-

”He swung about his head and cut the winds,

Who nothing hurt withal, hissed him in scorn.

While we were interchanging thrusts and blows…”

In these lines, Shakespeare uses common onomatopoeic words like ”hiss” creating an onomatopoeic effect in the poem.

18. “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” by Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Examples of onomatopoeia in the poem, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, can be found in the below extract from the poem-

”The furrow followed free;

We were the first that ever burst

Into that silent sea”.

In this poem, the poet uses onomatopoeic words like ”burst” and also used some non-onomatopoeic words like ”furrow” and ”followed free” in such coordination in the poem that it created an onomatopoeic effect in the poetry that’s describing the sound of the sea.

19. “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” by J.K Rowling

Examples of onomatopoeia in the novel, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, can be found in the below lines from the novel-

SMASH! The door was hit such force that it swung clean

off its hinges and with a deafening crash landed flat on the floor

In this line from J.K Rowling’s popular novel, you can find two onomatopoeic words examples ”smash” and ”clash” describing the sound of an action taking place in the story.

20. “For Whom the Bell Tolls” by Ernest Hemingway

Example of onomatopoeia in the novel, For Whom the Ball Tolls, can be found in the below line from the novel-

He saw nothing and heard nothing but he could feel his heart pounding and then he heard the clack on stone and the leaping, dropping clicks of a small rock falling.

This line from Hemingway’s 1940 novel ”For Whom the Bell Tolls” presents a good example of how onomatopoeia words help readers to imagine a serious or important situation in a story. The words ”pounding”, ”clack”, and ”clicks” helps readers to picture a character standing at the edge of a cliff, fearing for his life.

21. “Finnegan’s Wake” by James Joyce

Examples of onomatopoeia in the novel, Finnegan’s Wake, can be found in the below lines from the novel-

The fall (bababadalgharaghtakamminarronnkonnbronntonner-ronntuonnthunntrovarrhounawnskawntoohoohoordenenthur-nuk!) of a once wallstrait oldparr is retaled early in bed and later on life down through all christian minstrelsy.

In this extract from James Joyce’s novel ”Finnegan’s Wake”, Joyce represents the sound of the thunder through his long-invented gibberish word ”bababadal….”, making it one of the longest onomatopoeia words in literature.

22. “Ulysses” by James Joyce

Examples of onomatopoeia in the poem, Ulysses, can be found in the below extract from the poem-

…I was just beginning to yawn with nerves thinking he was trying to make a fool of me when I knew his tattarrattat at the door…

In ”Ulysses” James Joyce came up with a new sound word for his poetry and used ”tattarrattat” for describing the knocking sound at the door.

Writing poetry is not an easy task. When a poet writes poetry, he does not only rely on his emotions but also deals with the language in which he writes it. English literature along with language has been developed a lot for the last 100 years as many major changes have been witnessed in it. A poet uses many literary devices while writing poetry; instead it is not wrong to say that every writer (a novelist, dramatist or poet) has to rely upon poetic and literary devices to include some examples in his work; therefore, with the development in literature and English language, some improvements were also made in them with the passage of time. As a result, some new poetic devices were introduced, literary devices were improved and writers started using them with examples in their literary works.

Here are some examples of literary poetic devices that are common in every writer’s work:

• Alliteration
• Allusion
• Ambiguity
• Analogy
• Assonance
• Cacophony
• Connotation
• Consonance
• Contrast
• Euphony
• Hyperbole
• Imagery
• Irony
• Onomatopoeia
• Oxymoron
• Paradox
• Personification
• Pun
• Rhyme
• Simile
• Metaphor
• Symbolism

Alliteration

Alliteration basically is a technique of repeating the initial letter of each word. A poet uses alliteration to add a specific type of rhyming scheme in his poem; however, sometimes, it becomes very difficult for the readers to read such types of words as it causes obstruction in fluency. Some examples of alliteration are:-
Tom takes tea to transform his fat into metabolism.
Bob bought the best constructed buildings before business meetings.
In above said examples, the repetition of initial words (T in first examples whereas B in second example) are examples of one of the major poetic and literary devices called alliterations.

Allusion

Sometimes a poet needs to refer to something but he cannot do it directly; therefore, he does not straightly say it and uses a hint for this purpose, which in literature we call allusion. Mostly, the poet or writer uses it for historical events or figures. For instance, John Milton in Paradise Lost uses a lot of allusions such as:
Jesus Christ, Adam and Eve, Homer, Hercules etc.
Let’s elaborate further. Poets often use a famous phrase “Achelias’ heel” to describe someone’s weakness. It is an allusion. In Greek mythology, Achelias was a brave warrior and no one could kill him; however, he died because an arrow hit his heel, hence, his heel has been considered his weakness; therefore, many poets use it in their work, which is one of the best examples of major poetic and literary devices allusions.

Ambiguity

Ambiguity in actual meanings is not a poetic device. Rarely, a poet creates it deliberately. Mostly, it is caused because of the unclear meaning of a word in a poem or any literary work. Poetry is dependent on words and words are just symbols to present an idea or a thought; therefore, a word has more than one meaning. If a word has more than one meaning then it creates ambiguity in the poems.

Analogy

A poet uses analogy in his poems to create an abstract imagination in his readers’ mind. It is a connection between familiar and unfamiliar things. For instance, Shakespear writes:-
“As cold waters to a thirsty soul,
So is good news from a far country.”
In the above said example, “as cold waters to a thirsty soul” is an analogy that the poet uses to create imagery of familiar and unfamiliar things in the minds of his readers.

Assonance

In order to create rhyming, poets repeat vowel sounds in words. It should be remembered that no constant is used for this purpose. Some examples of literary and poetic devices assonances are:
Do good, have good.
The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain.

The main difference between assonance and alliteration is that assonance can occur anywhere in the world whereas it is necessary for the alliteration to be used at the start of each word.

Cacophony

Cacophony is one of those literary and poetic devices that creates confusing sounds in a poem examples of which are available from “Gulliver Travels”. Mostly, the poets and writers use one of these poetic and literary devices to create a destructive atmosphere, examples of which are:-

“and being no stranger to the art of war, I gave him a description of cannons, culverins, muskets, carabines, pistols, bullets, powder, swords, bayonets, battles, sieges, retreats, attacks, undermines, countermines, bombardments, sea-fights… from Gulliver Travels The author’s use of words beginning with sharp consonants contribute to the overall tone that war is destructive.”

Gulliver Travels

It is a clean example of the use of cacophony.

Connotation

Every word being a symbol has more than one meaning; therefore, the meaning of a word that is beyond its literal meaning is called connotation. There are two types of connotations: negative and positive. A poet uses connotation to create mood, emotion and feelings in his poetry. Some good examples of connotation are:
He is such a dove does not mean that he actually is a dove. Beyond literary meanings if we talk then it means that he has a pure heart.

Consonance

Consonance is the repetition of consonant alphabets in a poem, hence, it is opposite to assonance. Good examples of literary and poetic devices consonances are available from “Arms and the Boy by Wilfred Owen”:
“Let the boy try along this bayonet blade
How cold steel is, and keen with hunger of blood;
Blue with all malice, like a madman’s flash;
And thinly drawn with famishing for flesh.”

The continuous repetition of “b” sound in the above said stanza is a clear example of consonance.

Contrast

To make a comparison between two different things or to give examples, a poet uses one of the major poetic and literary devices called contrasts. Two or more than two things who are entirely opposite to each other make contrast in a poem or any other literary work. A powerful example of contrast has been drawn from Shakespeare’s sonnet. He writes:

My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun;
Coral is far more red than her lips’ red;
If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun;
If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head.

In the above said stanza, the sun, coral, snow, and wire are good examples of contrast.

Euphony

The poets and writers use euphony to create pleasing sounds in their literary works; therefore, it is entirely contradictory to cacophony. Euphony is pleasing and harmonious whereas on the other hand cacophony is harsh and discordant. He passed away, instead of he died, is the best example of euphony.

Hyperbole

Exaggeration of something, especially feelings and emotions is called hyperbole. William Butler Yeats in his poetry often uses these poetic and literary devices, examples of which are:

The darkness drops again; but now I know
That twenty centuries of stony sleep
Were vexed to nightmare by a rocking cradle,
And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,
Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?

Some other examples of hyperbole are:
You’re as light as a feather.
I slept like a rock last night.

Imagery

Imagery is the most used poetic device in poems. Use of words that appeal to the imaginative senses is called imagery. Every poet more or less uses imagery in his poems. John Keats is the best romantic poet who uses imagery in his poems, an example of which is:

He knew whose gentle hand was at the latch,
Before the door had given her to his eyes;
And from her chamber-window he would catch
Her beauty farther than the falcon spies;
And constant as her vespers would he watch,
Because her face was turn’d to the same skies;
And with sick longing all the night outwear,
To hear her morning-step upon the stair. (Keats 3.17-24)

Descriptions of natural images in this poem are examples of imagery.

Irony

A poet uses ironies as literary and poetic devices in his literary work to give examples of something opposite to literal meanings. There are certain types of ironies; irony of situation, dramatic irony and verbal irony. For instance, Jane Austen starts her novel “Pride and Prejudice” with the following statement:-

“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.”

However, soon we realize that women want husbands and not the vice versa.

Onomatopoeia

Poets use onomatopoeia to enhance the imagination of their readers. They want to show a world that they see exactly to their readers through words; therefore, they use onomatopoeia. For instance:

The cows go moo
the ghost says boo
beez goes buzz
pepsi goes fizz

In above said examples, moo, boo, buzz, fizz create pleasing sounds that exactly readers can imagine, which we call the use of onomatopoeia.

Oxymoron

Usage of contradictory words in a poem is called oxymoron. It is one of the most uses poetic and literary devices, examples of which are taken from Milton’s book “Paradise Lost” where he uses two words “darkness visible”, which are entirely contradictory to each other.

Paradox

Paradox is a combination of words that apparently does not make any sense but in reality it contains sensible meanings. For example:
This is the beginning of the end.
Deep down, you’re really shallow.
I’m a compulsive liar.

Personification

Sometimes a poet gives human attributes to a non living being which we call personification. For example:
Clouds dance in the sky.
Death walked towards me.

In the above said example dancing and walking are human attributes, which are assigned to non human beings, hence, it is called personification.

Pun

When a poet plays with the words and uses words with identical sounds then we call it pun. See the following sentence:-

I saw a saw which could not saw.

In the above said examples “saw” means to watch/to see, it also means the tool “saw” and thirdly it also means to cut.

Rhyme

Rhyme is one of those literary poetic devices that almost every poet uses in his poems not give examples but to provide rhythm to his poem. It is the repetition of syllables at the end of verse. For example in a poison tree,

I was angry with my friend;
I told my wrath, my wrath did end.
I was angry with my foe:
I told it not, my wrath did grow.

Friend, end, foe, grow are rhyming words, which best describe rhyme in poems.

Simile

Comparing an object with the other one is called simile. The poet uses words “like” and “as” for these purposes. For instance, as brave as a lion, clear like crystal etc.

Metaphor somewhat is similar to simile; however in metaphor a poet gives all the attributes of an object to the other one. For example, he is a lion; meaning thereby that is brave like a lion. He is a dove, which means that he is innocent etc.

Symbolism

Words are symbols and use of words to present ideas is called the technique of symbolism. It also suggests something about its literal meanings. For instance, the sea is used as a symbol of vastness, and an ambulance is a symbol of death etc.

Posted by smithmarthaj.