Poetic Devices

Question 1

metaphor

Answer 1

comparing two unlike things

Question 2

simile

Answer 2

comparing two unlike things using like, as, or than

Question 3

personification

Answer 3

inanimate objects taking on human characteristics

Question 4

motif

Answer 4

a re-occurring element that has a symbolic meaning in a story

Question 5

irony

Answer 5

using a word or phrase to mean the exact opposite. There are 3 kinds: dramatic, verbal, and situational

Question 6

repetition

Answer 6

repeating of a word, a phrase, or an idea for emphasis.

Question 7

imagery

Answer 7

use of words to create a picture in the reader’s mind. Usually using one or more of the five senses.

Question 8

symbolism

Answer 8

a person, place, thing, or event that is used to represent something else.

Question 9

foreshadowing

Answer 9

giving hints or clues of what is to come later in a story

Question 10

hyperbole

Answer 10

a deliberate exaggeration

Question 11

allegory

Answer 11

a story that is really a fictionalized version of a real situation

Question 12

allusion

Answer 12

refers to a famous place or character.

Question 13

connotation

Answer 13

meaning is inferred; it makes you think. It is figurative.

Question 14

juxtaposition

Answer 14

putting two words or ideas close together to create a contrasting of ideas or an ironic meaning

Question 15

cliché

Answer 15

an overused expression that has lost its intended force or novelty

Question 16

idiom

Answer 16

a saying, that if taken literally, makes no sense

Question 17

colloquialism

Answer 17

the use of informal words in literature. Used to connect with the audience

Question 18

euphemism

Answer 18

a polite expression used in place of words or phrases that might otherwise be considered harsh or unpleasant.

Question 19

rhyme scheme

Answer 19

any pattern of rhymes in poetry

Question 20

internal rhyme

Answer 20

word in the middle and word at the end rhyme

Question 21

alliteration

Answer 21

repetition of the first sound in a sentence

Question 22

assonance

Answer 22

close repetition of similar vowel sounds. (middle sound)

Question 23

consonance

Answer 23

close repetition of identical consonant sounds before and after different vowels. (end sound)

Question 24

onomatopoeia

Answer 24

words that imitate a sound, they sound like what they mean

Question 25

cacophony

Answer 25

harsh sounds, they hurt the ear

Question 26

rhythm/meter

Answer 26

amount of beats in a sentence or paragraph

Question 27

stress

Answer 27

the way you pronounce a word. ex) blessed