Figurative Language… the Language of Poetry In figurative language, words are used

to express more than their dictionarymeaning. It conveys vivid images.

(Verse that uses sounds, rhythm,and word choiceto convey ideas.)

Examples:I quarreled with my brother, a

I don’t know what about, bOne thing led to another aAnd somehow we fell out. b

- Eleanor Farjeon, from “The Quarrel”

Rhyme Scheme: the pattern of rhymes in a poem (done by

alternating letters of the alphabet for each rhyming sound)

SIMILE: a comparison of two unlike things using like,

as, resembles, thanExamples:

as sweet as sugarbright like the moontall as a mountainher heart resembles a prison

Metaphor: a comparison of two unlike things

Unlike similes, metaphors do NOT contain words such as like, as, etc.

Examples:He was a bear to us!The ribbon of road wound away.His smile is sunshine in our day.Her words rained down on us.

ONOMATOPOEIA:words that sound like what they mean

Examples:Buzz!Crunch!Bang!Crack!

Personification:giving human qualities to an animal,

object, or idea

Examples:The wind whispered to us.Our blue sky smiled down upon us.His eyes spoke what his mouth could

not.The willow tree grasped at them with

itsbranches.

ALLITERATION:the repetition of initial consonant sound for effect

Examples:The day of his death was a dark, cold daySeven swans swam silently seaward.Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.

Rosemary ran as rapidly as required.

SYMBOL:an object that stands for something larger than itself,

usually an abstract concept Examples:

dove – a bird / a symbol of peaceapple – a fruit / a symbol of temptationblack – a color / a symbol of evilflag – a cloth / a symbol of patriotism

IDIOM:an expression that has meaning different from the meaning of its individual words

Examples raining cats and dogs

kill two birds with one stone laughing stock don’t be a wet blanket

HYPERBOLE:simple exaggeration – in the service of truth, not with the

intention of lying

Examples:I’ll die if I don’t pass this test!You could knock me over with a feather

with that comment!I’ve read that a million times and I still

don’t get it.He walked forever to find his way home.

IRONY:a contrast between what is expected and

and what actually exists or happensExamples:

Helen Keller was always keenly aware of what was going on around her.

Alanis Morissette lyrics:Rain on your wedding dayA free ride when you’ve already paidHe waited his whole life to take that flight, and as the plane

crashed down, he thought, well isn’t this nice.An old man, turned 98, won the lottery, and died the next dayMeeting the man of your dreams, and then meeting his

beautiful wife.A traffic jam when you’re already lateA death-row pardon two minutes too lateTen thousand spoons when all you need is a knife

IMAGERYWords that appeal to the reader’s senses

(sight, smell, taste, hear, touch)

Example:The salty air, the melting sun, the icy waves, and the sweet tartness of the popsicle made my heart soar with the hope that this day would never end!

“The Ode”

• The ode was invented in ancient Greece in 500 B.C. by the poet Pindar. They were serious, dignified songs that were performed to celebrate great

heroes in battle.• In the 20th century, poet Pablo Neruda refined the

ode. He discarded the rules about odes and wrote them about everyday life and objects: a pair of socks, onions, a spoon, French fries, etc.

• We will now share his poem, “Ode to the Apple”.

A few of the more popular POETIC FORMS…

• Haiku – Japanese 17-syllable poem that usually describes nature in some form

• Concrete – Poem is molded into the physical form of its subject

• Acrostic – Each letter that begins each line of this poem creates a word (usually done with names)

THE END