Elements of Poetry

1
Elements of Poetry

• Lines Stanzas
• Figures of Speech
• Rhythm
• Meter
• Other Sound Devices

2
Lines Stanzas

• Line-word or row of words that may or may not
  form a complete sentence.
• Stanza-group of lines forming a unit.

3
Lines Stanzas Example

• Excerpt from Skip Rope for Our Time
• Junk mail, junk mail,
• look look look
• bargain offer coupon,
• catalogue book.
• Junk mail, junk mail,
• free free free
• trial sample
• guarantee.

4
Figures of Speech

• Figure of speech-word or expression that is not
  meant to be read literally.

Metaphor
Simile
Personification
5
Figures of Speech

• Simile-comparing two things using like or as
• Metaphor- compares two things without using like
  or as (something is something)

6
Figures of Speech

• Personification-gives human characteristics to an
  animal, object or idea

7
Figures of Speech Practice

• The lawnmower grinded its teeth over the grass.
• The moon is a sliver of cheese in the sky.
• The clouds are like cotton candy floating in the
  sky.

personification
metaphor
simile
8
Rhythm

• Rhythm-pattern of sound created by stressed and
  unstressed syllables. It does not have to form a
  regular pattern.

9
Meter

• Meter-regular pattern of stressed and unstressed
  syllables.
• sets the overall rhythm of certain poem
• Stressed syllables are marked with (')
• Unstressed syllable are marked with (?)

10
Example

• Mary had a little lamb,
• Little lamb, little lamb.
• Mary had a little lamb,
• Its fleece as white as snow

11
Other Sound Devices

• Alliteration-repeating of consonant sounds at the
  beginning of words.
• Assonance-repeating of vowel sounds within a
  line.
• Onomatopoeia-use of a word or phrase that
  imitates the sound of what is described.

12
Examples

• Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.
• The bee buzzed around the room.
• And the stars never rise but I see the bright
  eyes.

Alliteration
Onomatopoeia
Assonance