1. Alliteration
Repetition of the same consonant sound at the beginning of nearby words.
Example: “Silent snakes slither slowly.”
Effect: Adds rhythm, draws attention to certain phrases, or creates mood (e.g., soft, harsh, or soothing sounds).
2. Assonance
Repetition of vowel sounds in nearby words.
Example: “The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain.”
Effect: Creates musicality and flow; can reinforce mood.
3. Onomatopoeia
A word that imitates a sound.
Example: “Buzz,” “crash,” “whisper,” “sizzle.”
Effect: Engages the reader’s sense of hearing; makes imagery more vivid.
4. Imagery
Descriptive language that appeals to the five senses (sight, sound, smell, touch, taste).
Example: “The golden sun spilled across the icy meadow.”
Effect: Helps the reader visualise scenes and feel immersed in the poem.
5. Metaphor
A direct comparison between two unrelated things, saying one is the other.
Example: “Time is a thief.”
Effect: Creates symbolic or deeper meaning; can intensify emotion or understanding.
6. Simile
A comparison using “like” or “as.”
Example: “Her smile was as bright as the sun.”
Effect: Makes ideas or feelings more relatable by linking them to familiar images.
7. Personification
Giving human qualities to non-human things or abstract concepts.
Example: “The wind whispered through the trees.”
Effect: Makes nature or ideas feel alive or emotional; draws the reader in.
8. Enjambment
When a sentence runs over into the next line without pause or punctuation.
Example:
“I walk alone along the shore
and dream of distant lands.”
Effect: Creates flow, builds tension or surprise, and mimics natural speech.
9. Repetition
Using the same word or phrase more than once.
Example: “Alone, alone, all, all alone.”
Effect: Emphasises a feeling or idea (e.g., loneliness, urgency).
10. Symbolism
When something in the poem stands for a deeper meaning.
Example: A rose might symbolise love or beauty; winter could represent death or old age.
Effect: Adds depth, allows for layered interpretations.
11. Tone
The poet’s attitude or emotion towards the subject.
Examples: Angry, hopeful, nostalgic, bitter, joyful.
Effect: Influences how the reader feels and understands the poem.
12. Mood
The atmosphere or feeling created in the reader.
Examples: Peaceful, tense, eerie, melancholic.
Effect: Draws the reader into the emotional experience.
13. Rhyme
Words that sound the same at the end of lines.
Example: “The cat sat on the mat.”
Effect: Adds musicality, structure, and emphasis.
14. Rhythm / Meter
The pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in a line.
Example: Iambic pentameter: “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?”
Effect: Gives a poem flow and form; often mirrors natural speech.
15. Caesura
A pause within a line, often marked by punctuation.
Example: “I looked at him — he looked away.”
Effect: Adds dramatic pause or emotional weight; slows the reader down.
16. Contrast
Placing opposing ideas or images next to each other.
Example: “Darkness and light,” “joy and sorrow.”
Effect: Highlights differences; creates tension or irony.
17. Hyperbole
Deliberate exaggeration for effect.
Example: “I’ve told you a million times!”
Effect: Emphasises emotion, drama, or humour.
18. Oxymoron
Two contradictory words placed together.
Example: “Deafening silence,” “bittersweet.”
Effect: Creates paradox or highlights complex emotions.
19. Irony
When the opposite of what is expected happens or is said.
Example: A fire station burning down.
Effect: Creates humour, shock, or critique.
20. Theme
The central idea or message of a poem.
Examples: Love, nature, time, death, identity, war, memory.
Effect: What the poet is trying to express or reflect on.
How to Identify + How to Comment:
1. Alliteration
Identify: Repetition of the same consonant sound.
Comment Like This:
“The poet uses alliteration in ‘wild winds whistled’ to create a sense of movement and urgency, mirroring the chaos of the scene.”
2. Assonance
Identify: Repetition of vowel sounds.
Comment Like This:
“Assonance in the line ‘slow road home’ creates a soft, lingering sound that reflects the calm, reflective tone of the poem.”
3. Onomatopoeia
Identify: Words that imitate sounds.
Comment Like This:
“The use of onomatopoeia, such as ‘crash’ and ‘buzz’, brings the scene to life and appeals to the reader’s sense of hearing.”
4. Imagery
Identify: Language that appeals to senses (sight, touch, smell, sound, taste).
Comment Like This:
“Vivid imagery such as ‘the blood-red sun sank into the ocean’ paints a dramatic picture and sets a melancholic tone.”
5. Metaphor
Identify: Direct comparison – something is something else.
Comment Like This:
“Describing time as a ‘thief’ is a powerful metaphor that suggests time stealthily takes life’s moments away.”
6. Simile
Identify: Comparison using “like” or “as.”
Comment Like This:
“The poet compares the soldier to ‘a broken doll’ using a simile to show how war dehumanises people and leaves them physically and emotionally shattered.”
7. Personification
Identify: Giving human traits to non-human things.
Comment Like This:
“By saying ‘the moon watched silently,’ the poet personifies nature to suggest an eerie or protective presence.”
8. Enjambment
Identify: Sentence runs onto the next line with no punctuation.
Comment Like This:
“The use of enjambment keeps the pace flowing naturally, echoing the speaker’s stream of thought.”
9. Repetition
Identify: Words or phrases repeated for effect.
Comment Like This:
“The repeated phrase ‘never again’ reinforces the poet’s emotional plea and highlights the theme of loss.”
10. Symbolism
Identify: Something represents a bigger idea.
Comment Like This:
“The candle symbolises hope, and its gradual flickering reflects the speaker’s emotional fading.”
11. Tone
Identify: The poet’s attitude or emotion.
Comment Like This:
“The bitter tone suggests the speaker feels betrayed, especially through phrases like ‘you turned away.’”
12. Mood
Identify: The feeling created in the reader.
Comment Like This:
“The overall mood is tense and unsettling, caused by harsh descriptions and short, sharp lines.”
13. Rhyme
Identify: Matching sounds at the end of lines.
Comment Like This:
“The simple ABAB rhyme scheme gives the poem a musical quality and helps unify the stanzas.”
14. Rhythm / Meter
Identify: Pattern of stressed/unstressed syllables.
Comment Like This:
“The steady rhythm mirrors a heartbeat, reinforcing the poem’s emotional intensity and intimacy.”
15. Caesura
Identify: A pause or break within a line (often with punctuation).
Comment Like This:
“The caesura in the line—‘I wait. But no one comes.’—adds tension and reflects the speaker’s disappointment.”
16. Contrast
Identify: Opposites placed close together.
Comment Like This:
“The contrast between ‘light’ and ‘dark’ underlines the conflict between innocence and corruption in the poem.”
17. Hyperbole
Identify: Exaggeration for emphasis.
Comment Like This:
“The hyperbolic claim ‘I cried an ocean’ conveys overwhelming grief, exaggerating to express intense emotion.”
18. Oxymoron
Identify: Two opposite words side-by-side.
Comment Like This:
“The oxymoron ‘bittersweet memory’ reflects the speaker’s complex emotions—joy mixed with sorrow.”
19. Irony
Identify: Opposite of what's expected.
Comment Like This:
“The irony of a lifeguard who can’t swim adds dark humour while subtly criticising incompetence.”
20. Theme
Identify: Central message or idea.
Comment Like This:
“A central theme of the poem is the passage of time, explored through references to aging and fading memories.”