PoetryAlliteration

Onomatopoeia

consonanceAssonance

Rhyme

Personification

Hyperbole

Simile

Metaphor

PoetryPoetry is, first of all, a communication. It is a thought or message conveyed by the writer to the reader. It is not only an act of creation, but an act of sharing. It is therefore important to the reader that he/she understands how the poet uses words, how he/she puts fresh vigor and new meaning into words. The reader's understanding is immeasurably increased if he/she is familiar with the many techniques or devices of poetry. Some of these are extremely simple; a few are rather elaborate.

Technique in which an author gives human characteristics to non-human things (animals, natural forces, objects, ideas, etc.); examples are Jack Frost, Old Man Winter, Mother Nature, etc.; sentences with personification are as follows:

Examples:

The volcano sneezedThe clouds cried large dropletsThe waves danced upon the beach.

Personification

AlliterationThe repetition of initial (first) consonant letters or sounds in word groups; recognized by sound, not by spelling (know and nail alliterate, and know and key do not)

Examples:

wild and woolysweet sixteenthrough thick and thindime a dozen big blue balloonfat furry fox

onomatopoeia

Is a word that imitates the sound it represents. Example:splash, wow, gush, kerplunk, buzz, crash, clang, hiss, purr, squeak, boom

Rhyme

Is a pattern of words that contain similar sounds.

Example:Go, show, glow, know, thoughMat, rat, fat, cat, batCake, make, rake, bake, fake

Simile

The comparison of two unlike things using like or as.

Examples:

He eats like a pig skin as smooth as silk

MetaphorA comparison which does not use the words like or as; not to be confused with similes

Example:

Her laughter is a babbling brookHe was an islandHer love is poisonHe is the sunshine of my life

HyperboleIs an exaggeration or overstatement.

Example: I’m so hungry I could eat a horse He’s as big as a house I’d give all my money for a pack of Oreo cookies

Assonance

The repetition of vowel sounds but not consonant sounds.

Example: fleet feet sweep by sleeping geeks I must confess that in my quest I felt depressed and restless.”

ConsonanceThe repetition of consonant sounds, but not

vowels.

Example:

The lady lounges lazily The dark deep dread dripped in

PracticeActive EngagementNow I will give you a sheet with 20 sentences. You are to identify the type of figurative language used for each one. Read the sentences and write the type on the space provided.

Independent PracticeAfter the active engagement, listen for your names as I will call you into groups of three to work on generating your own examples of figurative language. You will get a list with the ones you will be working on.