Poetic/Fictive Devices

ENGL

1. Alliteration can be defined as a series of words, occurring close together in the phrases or lines of poetry, that have the same first consonant sound.

EX: Peter Piper Picked a Peck of Pickled Peppers

2. Assonance is the repetition of the vowel sound across words within the lines of the poem creating internal rhymes.

EX: If you can boogaloo

boogaloo

I can do

the boogaloo too

3. Imagery, in a literary or poetic sense, is the author’s use of description and vivid language, deepening the reader’s understanding of the work, by appealing to the senses.

There are different types of imagery. These include:

•Visual imagery which refers to sights and allows the reader to visualise the subject, objects or events in the poem.

•Auditory imagery refers to sounds and reminds the reader of common or specific sounds as a point of reference to deepen understanding.

•Kinaesthetic imagery is related to movement and reminds the reader of body movement or positions that are familiar or imagined – such as the feeling of flying.

•Smells and tastes can be referred to as Olfactory or Gustatory imagery respectively.

•Tactile imagery refers to texture and feeling.

4. Metaphor is a common poetic device where an object in, or the subject of, a poem is described as being the same as another otherwise unrelated object.

EX: The moon was a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas…

5. Onomatopoeia, according to the Oxford Dictionary, is the ‘formation of a word which describes its sound’. Examples of onomatopoeic words include sizzle, clap, moo, roar, etc.

It is a common feature in many poems written with children in mind. The onomatopoeia can sometimes form a refrain, that repeats through the poem, providing structure.

6. Personification is a poetic device where animals, plants or even inanimate objects, are given human qualities – resulting in a poem full of imagery and description.

EX: I spied a small lonely boy.

I was his beautiful red balloon,

from morning through to noon

7. In poetry, a refrain is a word, line or phrase that is repeated within the lines or stanzas of the poem itself.

There are three common types of refrain:

•the repetend – where particular words are repeated throughout the poem;

•the chorus – usually read by more than one person ‘_in unison_’, and sometimes can be considered the theme of the poem;

•the burden – the most common form of refrain, in which a whole word or phrase is repeated a regular intervals.

8. Rhyme is the repetition of syllables, typically at the end of a verse line. Rhymed words conventionally share all sounds following the word’s last stressed syllable.

Types of rhyme include:

Full rhyme – cat/hat/, dog/log.

Half or para-rhyme – cat/hit, lover/river.

Internal rhyme – rhyme that does not occur at the end of the line (the usual place rhyme is found) – Today, as I walked, the large black cat, tipped his hat at me and smiled.

9. Simile is common poetic device. The subject of the poem is described by comparing it to another object or subject, using ‘as’ or ‘like’. For example, the subject may be ‘creeping as quietly as a mouse’ or be ‘sly, like a fox.’

10. Stanzas can be defined as groups of lines, sometimes referred to (less precisely) as verses. Poems can be broken up into stanzas which usually share common features such as length, rhyme or rhythm.

Stanzas can also be irregular, and have no regular rhyming patterns to speak of.

11. Word play is a poetic device in which the words are used in the poem specifically as main subject of the poem itself, primarily for amusement or the intended effect of the words themselves. Examples include puns, double entendre, rhetorical questions, obscure words and unusual meanings.

Puns are commonly used in newspaper headlines to grab the reader’s attention, but can also be used in poetry for similar effect.

12. Allegory- Representation of ideas through a certain form (character, event, etc.). Allegory can convey hidden meanings through symbolic figures, actions, and imagery.

13. Allusion- Reference to a myth, character, literary work, work of art, or an event.

14. Euphemism- Replacing offensive or combinations of words with lighter equivalents.

15. Hyperbole- Exaggeration of the statement.

16. Irony- There are three types of irony:

Verbal (Antiphrasis) – using words to express something different from their literal meaning for ironic effect (”I’m so excited to burn the midnight oil and write my academic paper all week long”).

Situational – result differs from the expectation (Bruce Robertson, a character of Filth, is a policeman. Nonetheless, he does drugs, resorts to violence and abuse, and so on).

Dramatic – situation is understandable for the audience but not the fictional character/actor (audience sees that the fictional characters/actors will be killed now, though the characters don’t expect it).

17. Symbolism- Authors turn to tangible symbols to represent abstract concepts and ideas in their stories  Symbols typically derive from objects or non-human — for instance, a dove might represent peace, or raven might represent death.

18. Motif- Whatever form a motif takes, it recurs throughout the novel and helps develop the theme of the narrative. This might be a symbol, concept, or image.

19. Juxtaposition- places two or more dissimilar characters, themes, concepts, etc. side by side, and the profound contrast highlights their differences.