Name: ________________________
Poetic Device Definition
Alliteration The occurrence of the
same letter or sound at the
beginning of adjacent or
closely connected words
Allusion A brief reference to a real
or fictional person, event,
place, or work of art
Assonance The repetition of vowel
sounds in a chunk of text
Consonance The repetition of
consonant sounds, but not
vowels, in a chunk of text.
Metaphor A figure of speech that
makes a comparison
between two things
without using “like” or
“as”
Simile A figure of speech that
makes a comparison
between two things using
“like” or “as”
Personification When an inanimate object
is given human
characteristics or feelings
Poetic Devices Date: ____________________________
Example My Own Example
I am seeking the security of shadows
The repetition of the letter “s”
“She was the Einstein of Chess”
Einstein was regarded one of the most
intelligent humans that ever lived
I tried to light the fire, but my desire ran
out after a while.
Vowel: “i” sound
So dawn goes down to day,
Nothing gold can stay
Vowel: “d” sound
“Love is a battlefield”
“Hope is like a bird with feathers”
Birds will always have a tendency to
sing and chirp. Their feathers are soft
and gentle, but they are fast and
effective in flight. Though life may
knock you down, hope is the thing that
keeps you going.
Lightning danced across the sky
Name: ________________________ Poetic Devices Date: ____________________________

Onomatopoeia A word that imitates the
natural sounds of
something
Rhyme The repetition of sounds at
the end of words
The rustling leaves kept me awake
Do not go gentle into that good night/
Rage, rage against the dying of the light

Imagery The use of language and “A host of golden daffodils;

description that appeals to Beside the lake, beneath the trees
our five senses Fluttering and dancing in the breeze”
Symbol A word or an image that It was dark, almost impossible to see
signifies something other But at the end, in the distant,
than what it represents Was a faint light that could set him free.
(has multiple meanings)
Literal: light allows him to see
Symbolic: light symbolizes hope
Hyperbole The use of exaggeration “The only insecurities are from the stars
for emphasis or humor. It when they hide –
is not intended to take Because every time they see you smile,
literally. it really brightens up the sky”
Theme The central meaning or Common themes:
dominant message the poet - Love - Power/Corruption
is trying to deliver to the - Loss - Courage/Heroism
reader - God - Prejudice
- Memories - War
Tone The attitude the poem’s Long sleek branches
narrator takes towards a Sway to the music of the wind
subject or character: A game of hide and seek
serious, humorous, The clouds and sun do play
sarcastic, ironic,
concerned, sarcastic, Tone can be described as
solemn, objective cheerful/happy because of the words
empathetic, critical, etc. chosen by the narrator.