Poetical / Language Techniques (DONE) Flashcards
Language devices can also be poetical language devices and vice versa.
What is a Hyperbole?
A hyperbole is an overly exaggerated statement.
Example:
“I’m soo angry I’m going to kill him!”
“I’m soo hungry I could eat everything”
What is Assonance?
Assonance is the repetition of the vowel sounds: A, E, I, O, U.
Example:
“Light the fire” - the i in fire and light is the assonance.
“I’m too cool for school” - the oo sound is the assonance as we’re repeating the vowel sound created by the letter O.
Are devices and techniques the same thing?
Yes.
What is alliteration?
Alliteration is when words in a row begin with the same letter or make the same sound.
Example:
“the big blue ball bounced down the road.” - the alliteration here is the b-b-b.
“sweet birds sang”
Note: even if there is one word in between it is still alliteration.
What is sibilance?
Sibilance is when words in a row begin with the S letter or have the S sound.
Example:
“the snake slowly hissed”
What is euphemism?
Euphemism is when you say something in an indirect manner.
Example:
“you’ve not got long left”
“he passed away”
“I’m going to have to let you go”
What is an onomatopoeia?
An onomatopoeia is when words describe sounds.
Example:
“Crack”
“Bang”
“Boom”
“roar”
What is the rule of three?
The rule of three is when three words or phrases describe something.
Example:
“the table is black with four legs and is quite hard.”
What is zoomorphism?
Zoomorphism is when you give a human, or object animal features.
Example:
“John barked at me” - john is given the animal features of a dog. (this is also a metaphor)
“He swung from branch to branch” - the human is given the quality of being able to swing from branches which is an animal feature.
“Dragon-shaped teapot” - the teapot is given the shape of a dragon which is an animal.
“Snake-like necklace” - the necklace is given the resemblance of a snake.
What is repetition?
When the writer repeats a word or a phrase for effect.
Examples:
“its okay not to be okay”
What is pathetic fallacy?
Pathetic fallacy is when the weather or the atmosphere describes the mood.
Example:
“a dark night” this atmosphere brings with it evil.
“angry storms decided to roll in” an impulsive mood is set.
What is personification?
Personification is when a non-human is given human qualities.
Example:
“The pen sat on the table” sitting is a human feature and it is given to the pen which is obviously non-human.
“The wind whispered through the trees.” the wind is non-human and given the human quality of whispering.
“The stars winked at us from the night sky.” the stars are of course non-human and given the human quality of winking.
“The ocean waves crashed angrily against the shore.” by describing the waves as “crashing angrily,” the writer gives the waves a human-like quality, suggesting that they can express emotions similar to those of a person.
