Name___________________ Date_____________________ Period_____ English Literary Techniques and Poetry Devices Reference Packet 1. Alliteration: the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of a group of words Example: Nina knows numbers. The “n” sound is repeated. 2. Allusion: a reference another piece of literature; commonly, a reference to mythology 3. Anthorpomorphism: when a nonhuman object or thing is given all the qualities of a human such as personality, thoughts, and actions; this is more than just personification where the object is described briefly using a human quality. In this case, the object or animal is “morphed” into a human in every aspect EXCEPT physically. This happens in fables, myths, legends, folktales, and fantasy stories. 4. Assonance: the repetition of a specific vowel sound or group of vowel sounds within words throughout a poem Example: Great ray of the sun Shine down on us today 5. Consonance: the repeating of specific consonant sounds within words throughout a poem Example: I have a line or groove I love runs down 6. Couplet: A pair of rhyming lines with identical meter 1 7. End rhyme: when the words at the ends of lines in a poem rhyme Example: I saw a boat It did not float 8. Figurative Language: writing or speech that is not meant to be taken literally. This includes metaphor, simile, personification, etc… 9. Flashback: a scene in a story that interrupts the current events to reveal events that occurred in the past. 10. Foreshadowing: when an author gives hints or clues about upcoming events 11. Hyperbole: an exaggeration that is not meant to be taken literally, or exactly Example: It is a thousand degrees in here. That plane was five million miles long. 12. Idiom: an expression that has a meaning beyond that of its words; unique to each language Example: Mom hit the ceiling when she found out I broke her favorite crystal dishes. The phrase” hit the ceiling” is not literally what happened. It means that mom was very angry. 13. Imagery: the use of sensory words and descriptions to create an image or picture in one’s mind; vivid language describing how something looks, feels, tastes, smells, or sounds 14. Internal rhyme: when words within a line of poetry rhyme Example: I saw a boat that did not float 2 15. Irony: the opposite of what is expected involving surprising, interesting, or amusing contradictions. Examples: a model has an ugly baby; a dancer has a klutzy kid A. Verbal Irony: words are used to suggest the opposite of their usual meanings Example: He is so cute. (said when referring to someone you think is ugly.) B. Dramatic Irony: (similar to suspense) the reader knows information that the character does not know. Example: A character thinks that the detective is on his side, but the reader knows the detective is working with the enemy. C. Irony of Situation: when something completely unexpected happens; an unexpected twist 16. Line: similar to a sentence in prose. The lines are numbered. Example: An excerpt from “after any sunset” after any sunset 1 there is a glint 2 a certain afterglow 3 a rainbow show 4 17. Metaphor: a direct comparison between two unlike things. Examples: Her eyes are emeralds. He is a lion. 18. Meter: the rhythmic pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in a line of poetry 3 19. Mood: how the reader feels after reading a poem Example: a poem can make a reader feel sad, afraid, proud, etc. 20. Onomatopoeia: the use of words that imitate sounds associated with the objects or actions to which they refer Examples: buzz – the word sounds like the actual noise a bee makes. Also: murmur, bang, plop, zoom, hiss, cluck, clink, etc… 21. Personification: when nonhuman or inanimate objects are given human characteristics Examples: The wind whispered through the trees. The pen danced across the paper. 22. Refrain: when an entire stanza or group of lines is repeated in a poem - similar to a chorus in a song 23. Repetition: in poetry or literature, when a word, phrase or clause is repeated more than once in order to emphasize something 24. Rhyme: a poem or verse having a regular correspondence, or match, of sounds Example: I saw a boat that did not float, and because of this, it got stuck in the moat. 25. Rhyme Scheme: the pattern of end rhyme in a poem labeled by a, b, c, etc… - rhyme scheme is the letters that are marking the pattern Example: I saw a boat a It did not float a I watched it drown b It made me frown b 4 26. Sensory Language: language or speech that appeals to one or more of the five senses and creates an image – sight, sound, smell, taste, touch Example: The salty spray of the sea air clung to my nose and my skin. 27. Simile: a comparison between two unlike things using the words “like” or “as” Examples: Her eyes are like emeralds. Her eyes are blue-green as the sea. 28. Speaker: the imaginary voice or character that tells a poem (NOT THE AUTHOR) 29. Stanza: a division or unit of lines in a poem, similar to a paragraph 30. Symbol: something that stands for or represents something else Examples: The flag is a symbol for liberty or freedom A dove is a symbol for peace Red can symbolize love or anger. 31. Tone: the speaker’s attitude about his/her subject matter Examples: The speaker can be sarcastic, sorrowful, humorous, serious, etc… 5 .