Scribd
Upload
248 views

Poetic Devices Hip Hop Handout

The document defines and provides examples of various poetic devices commonly used in hip hop music, including alliteration, assonance, allegory, allusion, ambiguity, apostrophe, consonance, cacophony, cliche, contrast, euphony, euphemism, hyperbole, metaphor, metonymy, onomatopoeia, oxymoron, paradox, personification, pun, repetition, simile, symbol, and synecdoche. Each device is defined and an example is given from a well-known hip hop song to illustrate how the device is used.

Uploaded by

Celia Eydeland
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
248 views

Poetic Devices Hip Hop Handout

The document defines and provides examples of various poetic devices commonly used in hip hop music, including alliteration, assonance, allegory, allusion, ambiguity, apostrophe, consonance, cacophony, cliche, contrast, euphony, euphemism, hyperbole, metaphor, metonymy, onomatopoeia, oxymoron, paradox, personification, pun, repetition, simile, symbol, and synecdoche. Each device is defined and an example is given from a well-known hip hop song to illustrate how the device is used.

Uploaded by

Celia Eydeland
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 2

Hip Hop Guide to Poetic Devices

Alliteration​: Repeated consonant sounds at the beginning of words placed near each other,
usually on the same or adjacent lines
- Ex: “​S​aid I’m​ s​o ​s​ick of love ​s​ongs/​S​o ​s​ad and ​s​low” --Ne-Yo, “So Sick”

Assonance​: Repeated vowel sounds in words placed near each other, usually on the same or
adjacent lines​.
- Ex: ​“I b​o​mb at​o​mically—S​o​crates’ phil​oso​phies and hyp​o​theses can’t define how I be dr​o​ppin’ these
m​o​ckeries.” --Wu-Tang Clan, “Triumph”

Allegory: ​A representation of an abstract or spiritual meaning; a symbolic narrative that has a


literal meaning and an extended metaphorical meaning.
- Ex: “I met​ this girl​ when I was three years old/And what I loved most she had so much soul . . . If you
don’t know by now, I’m talkin’ bout ​Chi-Town​!” --Kanye West, “Homecoming”

Allusion: ​A reference to something else (a person, historical event, fictional character, etc)
- Ex: “I got me some rings like I’m ​Bruce Bowen​/I’m ballin’ on you like I’m ​Chris Paul​” --Young Thug,
“Mixtape”

Ambiguity: ​A word or phrase that can mean more than one thing, even in context.
- Ex: “95 Air Max cause I’m a​ dope runner​” --Gucci Mane, “Bricks”

Apostrophe: ​Speaking directly to a real or imagined listener or inanimate object, addressing


them by name.
- Ex: “First thing’s first, rest in peace ​Uncle Phil​/For real/​You’re​ the only father that I ever knew” --J.
Cole, “No Role Modelz”

Consonance: ​Repeated consonant sounds at the ending of words placed near each other,
usually on the same or adjacent lines.
- Ex: “​Way b​ack​ when I had the red and bl​ack​ lumberj​ack/​With the hat to match” --Notorious B.I.G.,
“Juicy”

Cacophony: ​A series of harsh, unpleasant sounds to convey disorder.


- Ex: “I’m not ​cocky​, I’m ​confident​” --Jadakiss, “New York”

Cliche: ​A figure of speech that, while once clever, is overused or outdated.


- “​Better late than never​/But never late is better.” --Drake, “Fancy”

Contrast: ​To juxtapose two things that are different from one another.
- Ex: “I’m rare like ​Mr. Clean with hair​” --Lil Wayne, “Phone Home”

Euphony: ​A series of musically pleasant sounds to convey harmony and beauty.


- Ex: ​ “I can go on for ​days ​and ​days​/With rhyme ​displays ​that ​engrave ​deep as X
​ -rays​” --Rakim,
“Follow The Leader”

Euphemism: ​Substituting something inoffensive to lessen the effect of referring to something


directly.
- Ex: “Stackin’ ​cheese ​till my ​bread ​right” --Wiz Khalifa, “It’s Nothin”

Hyperbole: ​Outrageous exaggeration used for effect.


- Ex: “If heaven had a height,​ you would be that tall​” --Common, “The Light”

Metaphor: ​A direct comparison between two things.


- Ex: “I never sleep, cause ​sleep is the cousin of death​” --Nas, “NY State of Mind”

Metonymy: ​A figure of speech in which a person, place, or thing is referred to by something


closely associated with it.
- Ex: “It’s all about​ the Benjamins​, baby” --Puff Daddy & The Family

Onomatopoeia: ​Words that sound like their meanings.


- Ex: “Start up that Maserati and ​vroom vroom​, I’m racing” --Kendrick Lamar, “Backseat Freestyle”

Oxymoron: ​A combination of two words that appear to contradict each other.


- Ex: “If talk is cheap, then ​my silence is diamonds​” --Lupe Fiasco, “Go To Sleep”

Paradox: ​A statementing in which a seeming contradiction may reveal an unexpected truth.


- Ex: “Why am I ​fighting to live​ if I’m just l​ iving to fight​?” --2Pac, “Runnin’ (Dying To Live)

Personification: ​Attributing human characteristics to an inanimate object.


- Ex: “The​ new moon​ rose high in the crown of the metropolis/Shining, like ‘​Who on top of this​?’”
--Black Star, “Respiration”

Pun: ​Word play in which words have different meanings with similar sounds.
- Ex: “Couldn’t afford a car, so she named her daughter ​Alexis​” --Kanye West, “All Falls Down”

Repetition: ​Purposeful re-use of words and phrases for effect.


- Ex: “I got loyalty, got royalty​ inside my DNA​/I got hustle though, ambition flow​ inside my DNA​”
--Kendrick Lamar, “DNA”

Simile: ​A direct comparison of two things using “like” or “as.”


- Ex: “Gettin’ funky on the mic ​like ​an old batch of collard greens” --Snoop Dogg, “Nuthin But a G Thang”

Symbol: ​An object, event, animal, or person which has more meaning to it.
- Ex: “I’m the ​wolf​, where is ​Little Miss Riding Hood​?” --Nicki Minaj, “Itty Bitty Piggy”

Synecdoche: ​Indicating a person, object, etc, but using one part to represent the whole.
- Ex: “These expensive, these is ​red bottoms​” --Cardi B, “Bodak Yellow”

You might also like