Poetic Techniques Flashcards
Enjambement
When a sentence or phrase runs over from one line of a stanza to the next line.
Simile
A way of describing something by comparing it to something else. Tends to use ‘like’ or ‘as’.
E.g. ‘The snow was fluffy like the fur of a polar bear.’
Colloquial Language
Everyday spoken language.
E.g. ‘Cute as a button’
The tone
The mood/atmosphere suggested by the language.
E.g romantic, hopeful…
Contrast
When the writer describes two differences or opposites.
E.g. Light, Dark
Tall, small
Hyperbole
An exaggerate statement that is not meant literally.
Free verse
Poetry that doesn’t rhyme and has no regular rhythm.
Irony
When words are selected in a sarcastic or comical way.
Oxymoron
A phrase which appears to contradict itself…
“She acted naturally”
Alliteration
Where two or more words share the same sound or letter. ‘Toxic trash’ ‘beautiful birds’
Assonance
When word share the same vowel sounds.
E.g. Winding hither and thither, the snake began to slither.
Ambiguity
When a word or phrase has more than one meaning.
Refrain
A line or stanza or a poem that is repeated.
