Poetry Figurative Language W1L3
Poetry Figurative Language W1L3
Poetry Figurative Language W1L3
ENG2G
In this tutorial, you will learn
The end of a line of poetry does not always signal the end of a
sentence or thought. Often, poets will continue a sentence or
thought across several lines.
Select the image to analyze the form of a poem. Ask yourself:
How many lines and stanzas does this poem have? Where does
each thought begin and end?
Analyzing Form
You have learned about the pieces that make up a poem—
lines and stanzas. Now read the poem again, using what you
have learned to answer a question about its form.
Which is a correct description of this poem's form?
You have learned about the characteristics of and the differences between traditional and free verse poetry. Now,
practice what you have learned.
Sound devices are techniques used to give poetry a musical quality. Both traditional and
free verse poetry often contain sound devices.
Rhyme refers to the repetition of sounds at the end of words, as Onomatopoeia is the use of words whose
Rhyme in night and fright. There are several kinds of rhyme: end
rhyme (the rhyming of words at the ends of lines); internal
sounds echo their meanings. Some common
examples are buzz, gargle, hiss, and thump.
rhyme (the rhyming of words within a line); and slant You can find onomatopoeia in many kinds of
rhyme (words have similar, but not identical, sounds). When writing. It is used to vividly describe certain
Rhythm end rhyme has a pattern, it is called a rhyme scheme. sounds so that readers can clearly "hear" them.
Onomatopoeia Rhythm is the musical quality produced by the repetition of stressed and
unstressed syllables. A regular pattern of rhythm is called meter. Both
free verse and traditional poetry use rhythm; however, free verse poetry These are two more ways of repeating sounds to
Alliteration does not have meter. achieve a certain effect. Assonance is the
repetition of vowel sounds in words, such as
in stone and slow. Consonance is the repetition of
assonance and consonance Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds at the consonant sounds either within or at the ends of
beginning of two or more nearby words. Alliteration can help a words, as in the phrase wide muddy field.
poet highlight key words, make a poem memorable, or create a
certain mood, or feeling.
And they walked at a pace These lines have a regular pattern of two unstressed syllables,
That would make your heart race followed by one stressed syllable.
The grass waves like The sequence of stressed and unstressed syllables in these lines
A yellow-green sea follows no particular pattern.
Tossed by the wind
The fields lay smooth and white In these lines, the meter consists of one unstressed syllable,
And crisp with snow. followed by one stressed syllable.
Identifying Sound Devices
You have learned about the types of sound devices that help poets create meaning and emphasis. Now,
practice identifying some of these devices.
Alliteration Assonance
Identifying Sound Devices
Read the sample poem. Then, answer the question.
On a warm, sunny beach
What sound devices are I sit
used in this poem? in my mind
waves crash, gurgle, sigh,
alliteration and slush.
onomatopoeia Suddenly shadows invade my
assonance and eyes,
onomatopoeia and someone calls my name.
rhyme and meter Once more I am locked
consonance and rhyme in the dungeon of algebra.
Crash, gurgle, sigh, and slush are examples of onomatopoeia, and Suddenly shadows and someone reflect alliteration.
The poem does not include assonance, or the repetition of vowel sounds. However, onomatopoeia is evident.
The poem does not include rhyme or a regular pattern of rhythm.
This poem does not include rhyming words or the repetition of consonant sounds inside words.
Word Choice
Because poems, as a general rule, have fewer words than short stories or other prose, word
choice is an important element of poetry. Poets must choose each word carefully to
communicate their intended meaning and effect.
Suddenly, Suddenly,
She felt the wind She felt the wind
Rip through Whisper through
Her long, curling hair. Her long, curling hair
Imagery
Imagery is language that helps a reader recreate, in his or her own The storm rolls in
mind, what the writer is describing. Poets use imagery—in addition Growling and rumbling
to word choice, sound devices, and form—to give their poems On the heels of the
meaning and to tap into different emotions. night,
Arriving with a blinding flash.
Each flash bringing
Poets create imagery by using sensory details, or words and A breathless pause Before the sky-splitting
phrases that appeal to any of the five senses—smell, touch, thunder.
sight, hearing, and taste. I sit at the window,
Metallic air on my
tongue,
And wait for the rain.
Analyze the Text: In this example, the poet appeals to the senses
of sight (blinding flash), hearing (growling and rumbling), and
taste (Metallic air on my tongue) to create a vivid image.
Analyzing Imagery
On a hot day,
The imagery in this poem appeals to— Your whole self melts.
sight and hearing A wall of sunshine
taste and touch Knocks you down, and
hearing and taste
You drip down into
sight and touch
The shimmering sidewalks
And turn to a wisp of
steam
Before
You even have the
chance
To be a puddle.
Figurative Language
One way that poets create vivid
imagery is through figurative
language—creative comparisons
that are not literally true.
Simile
Metaphor
Personification
Exaggeration/hyperbole
Poetry is a type of literature in which words are chosen and arranged in specific ways to
create an effect. Instead of sentences and paragraphs, poems are made up
of lines and stanzas.
Traditional poetry is arranged according to rules about lines, stanzas, rhyme, and rhythm.
By contrast, free verse poetry does not follow such rules. As a result, it tends to sound like
everyday speech.
Poets use imagery, figurative language, and sound devices (rhyme, meter, alliteration,
onomatopoeia, assonance, and consonance) to create meaning and emotion.