Poetic Devices

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Poetic Devices

• Amy Smith

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Poetic Devices What are they? Why are they so
special?

• Poetic devices fit into the category of
  figurative language.
• They can DEFINITELY be used in more than JUST
  poetry.

Click on the penguin to take a peek at a video
clip on your first two poetic devices. Once you
finishing watching the clip, close the media
player to continue the PowerPoint.
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Simile

• A comparison of two things uses the words like
  or as.
• Examples
• My mind is like an open book.
• He sprinted as fast as a cheetah to the finish
  line.
• Buster barks like broken alarm clock.

Click on the book to practice similes.
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Alliteration

• In a line, more than one word begins with the
  same consonant letter.
• Example
• Busy Buzzing Bees
• Witches fly west in the winter.
• The savory smell of seasoned steak on the grill
  made my mouth salivate.

Click on the witch to read more about
alliteration.
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Metaphor

• Compares one thing to another by stating that
  something IS something else.
• Example
• White gleaming stars are diamonds in the midnight
  sky.
• The snow is a white, fluffy blanket covering the
  field.
• Sam is King Kong when hes mad.

Click on the gorilla and complete the attached
worksheet to practice metaphors.
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Personification

• Giving a nonhuman thing human characteristics.
• Examples
• The bare branches grabbed me as I ran through the
  woods.
• The collie seemed to smile as his owner rubbed
  his ears.
• The popcorn jumped right out of the popping
  machine.

Practice personification by clicking the collie.
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Onomatopoeia

• Words that sound like noises
• Examples
• Boom! Crash! Quack!
• Moo! Shhh! Crackle!

Click on the radio to read poems using
onomatopoeia.
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Repetition

• When words, phrases, or entire lines of a poem
  are repeated.
• Usually words are repeated to help make a point
  or create a mood.
• Examples
• Repeating one word (sometimes at the end of a
  line)
• Repeating a line (usually the last line of a
  stanza)

Click on the moon to see more about repetition.
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Hyperbole

• Using exaggeration to make a point.
• Examples
• Im so hungry I could eat a whole chicken!
• It rained buckets during the game this morning.
• Megan was so mad fume rose from her head.

Click on the football for a short clip on
hyperboles and similes.
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Rhyme

• Words or phrases that end or sound like they end
  the same.
• Examples
• Mop up that slop!!
• There goes the rabbit, Grab it!!
• Twinkle, twinkle little star, How I wonder what
  you are.
• Do not Hop on Pop!

Click on the plate of spaghetti, read the nursery
rhyme, and write down all the rhyming word pairs
on your paper.
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Imagery

• Using descriptive language (five senses) to help
  paint a picture in the readers mind.
• Using Imagery is very similar to using Show,
  Dont tell in writing. Instead of saying, It
  was Halloween or The sunset was pretty, we can
  describe the scene using imagery.
• Examples
• Giggling and yelling, straw-filled scarecrows,
  pretty princesses, mean monsters, and other
  creatures paraded down the street with extended
  candy bags to welcoming porch lights in search of
  the best sweets.
• The girls gazed at the beautiful hues of fiery
  orange, lemon yellow, prom dress pink, and a
  splash of grape purple in the sunset over the
  horizon.

Click on the candy to learn more about imagery
and examples from songs.
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Lets see them in action!

• Next, Lets read some famous poems or nursery
  rhymes.
• What examples of similes, metaphors,
  alliteration, hyperboles, onomatopoeia,
  repetition, rhyme, and imagery do you find?
• Work in your groups to identify these poetic
  devices.

Click on the picture, print your worksheet, and
complete in your groups.
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References

• Buzzin Learning Made Fun. (2004). Retrieved
  October 9, 2006, from Buzzin http//www.buzzin.ne
  t/english/allit.htm
• Defining Imagery Prediction. Maryland
  Technology Academy. (2000). Retrieved October
  14,2006 from http//cte.jhu.edu/techacademy/web/20
  00/baczkowski/imagedef.htm
• Discovering Language Arts Style, Structure, and
  Tone (Grades 3-5). Discovery Channel
  School(2005). Retrieved October 11, 2006,
  fromunitedstreaming http//www.unitedstreaming.c
  om/
• Discovering Language Arts Fiction (Grades 3-5).
  Discovery Channel School. (2006). Retrieved
  October 11, 2006, fromunitedstreaming
  http//www.unitedstreaming.com/
• Metaphors. RHL SchoolFree Learning Resources.
  (1996-2006). Retrieved October 3, 2006 from
  http//www.rhlschool.com/eng3n26.htm

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References Continued

• Onomatopoeia Poetry. Langley Schools, BC, Canada
  Homepage. (2006). Retrieved October 14, 2006
  from http//www.sd35.bc.ca/lm/archive/div8sampleon
  omatop.htm
• On Top of Spaghetti. Just Playing Nursery Rhymes
  and Silly Stuff. Retrieved October 14, 2006 from
  http//smart-central.com/spaghetti.htm
• PoemHunter.com Retrieved October 10, 2006 from
  http//www.poemhunter.com
• Repetition Classics. Thinkquest.org. (2006).
  Retrieved October 14, 2006 from
  http//library.thinkquest.org/J0112392/repetitionc
  lassics.html
• Shared Poetry Reading Teaching Print Concepts,
  Rhyme, and Vocabulary. Read, Write, Think.org.
  (2006) Retrieved October 14, 2006 from
  http//www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.
  asp?id883