Literary/Poetic Devices

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Device Definition Example

Alliteration Alliteration is when two or more Sheep should sleep in a shed.

words have linked that share the
same first consonant sound.

Allusion An allusion is when we hint at She felt like she had a golden
something and expect the other ticket.
person to understand what we are
referencing.

Assonance Assonance refers to the repetition he fell asleep under the cherry
of internal vowel sounds in words tree
that do not end the same.

End Rhyme End rhyme is when a poem has With silver bells and cockle
lines ending with words that shells and pretty maids all in a
sound the same. row.

Hyperbole Hyperbole is an exaggerated It's raining cats and dogs.

statement and is not meant to
take it seriously.

Internal Rhyme a rhyme involving a word in the I drove myself to the lake / and
middle of a line and another at the dove into the water.
end of the line or in the middle of
the next.

Metaphor a figure of speech heart of gold.

Oxymoron An oxymoron is a Pretty ugly.

self-contradicting word or group of
words

Paradox The purpose of a paradox is to Save money by spending it.

arrest attention and provoke fresh
thought.

Personification Personification is when you give The wind howled in the night.
an object or animal-human
 behaviors.

Simile A simile is a phrase that uses a sing like an angel

comparison to describe.

Slant Rhyme slant rhyme is a type of rhyme The sheep's in the meadow, the
with words that have similar cow's in the corn.

Symbolism The practice of representing green traffic light symbolizes “go”

things by symbols.

Directions: On the following pages, you will highlight and label

the literary devices for each poem/song. Use highlights that
are similar in color to the chart above. Don’t forget to label!
Starry Night (dedicated in memory to Vincent Van Gogh)

A creative heart, obsessed with satisfying

This dormant and uncaring society
You have given them the stars at night
And you have given them bountiful bouquets of
sunflowers
But for you there is only contempt
And though you pour yourself into that frame
And present it so proudly
This world could not accept your masterpieces
From the heart.
 So on that starry night
You gave to us and
You took away from us
The one thing we never acknowledged...your life

Personification: creative heart, dormant and uncaring society

Allusion: stars at night, bountiful bouquets of sunflowers, masterpieces, starry night
Hyperbole: though you pour yourself into that frame
Paradox: You gave to us and You took away from us
Assonance: though, pour, yourself, proudly
Alliteration: that, to, took, and, away, acknowledged, obsessed, satisfying, society, pour, present,
proudly

Sometimes I Cry
Sometimes when I’m alone
I cry because I’m on my own
The tears I cry are bitter and warm
They flow with life but take no form
I cry because my heart is torn
And I find it difficult to carry on
If I had an ear to confide in
I would cry among my treasured friends
But who do you know that stops that long
to
help another
carry on?
The world moves fast and it would rather
pass you by
Than to stop and see what makes you cry
It’s painful and sad and sometimes I cry
And NO ONE cares about why.
Personification: tears I cry are bitter and warm, ear to confide in, world moves
fast End Rhyme: alone and own, warm and form, cry and why
Alliteration: stop, see, sad, sometimes,
Internal Rhyme: long and on, fast and pass
Hyperbole: heart is torn

The Autumn Wind

The Autumn wind is a pirate

Blustering in from sea

With a rollicking song he sweeps along

Swaggering boisterously.

His face is weatherbeaten

 He wears a hooded sash
With a silver hat about his head

And a bristling black mustache.

He growls as he storms the country

A villain big and bold

And the trees all shake and quiver and quake

As he robs them of their gold.

The Autumn wind is a Raider

Pillaging just for fun

He’ll knock you ’round and upside down

And laugh when he’s conquered and won.

Personification: He growls as he storms the country, The Autumn wind is a pirate, , He’ll
knock you ’round and upside down, ,And laugh when he’s conquered and won, trees all shake
and quiver and quake, As he robs them of their gold, Autumn wind is a Raider
Internal Rhyme: shake and quake, round and down, song and along
End Rhyme: bold and gold
Alliteration: Bristling, Black, Big, Bold, Hooded, hat, hi,s head, sweep, song, sea, swaggering
Hyperbole: His face is weatherbeaten

All of Me

What would I do without your smart mouth?

Drawing me in, and you kicking me out

 You've got my head spinning, no kidding, I can't pin you down
What's going on in that beautiful mind

I'm on your magical mystery ride

And I'm so dizzy, don't know what hit me, but I'll be alright

My head's under water

But I'm breathing fine

You're crazy and I'm out of my mind

'Cause all of me

Loves all of you

Love your curves and all your edges

All your perfect imperfections

You're my end and my beginning

Even when I lose I'm winning

How many times do I have to tell you

Even when you're crying you're beautiful too

The world is beating you down, I'm around through every mood

You're my downfall, you're my muse

Paradox: Drawing me in, and you kicking me out, My head's under water But I'm
breathing fine, All your perfect imperfections, You're my end and my beginning,
Even when I lose I'm winning, Even when you're crying you're beautiful too,
You're my downfall, you're my muse

Metaphor: The world is beating you down, I'm around through every mood
Take Me To Church
 My lover's got humour

She's the giggle at a funeral

Knows everybody's disapproval

I should've worshipped her sooner

If the heavens ever did speak

She's the last true mouthpiece

Every Sunday's getting more bleak

A fresh poison each week

"We were born sick"

You heard them say it

My church offers no absolutes

She tells me "worship in the bedroom"

The only heaven I'll be sent to

Is when I'm alone with you

I was born sick, but I love it

Command me to be well

I'll worship like a dog at the shrine of your lies I'll

tell you my sins and you can sharpen your knife If

I'm a pagan of the good times

My lover's the sunlight

 Love Me Like You Do

You're the light, you're the night

You're the color of my blood

You're the cure, you're the pain

You're the only thing I wanna touch

Never knew that it could mean so much, so much

You're the fear, I don't care

Cause I've never been so high

Follow me to the dark

Let me take you past our satellites

You can see the world you brought to life, to life

What are you waiting for?

Fading in, fading out

On the edge of paradise