Introduction to Poetic Devices: The Artistry of Sound and Structure - 4.1.1

Key Concepts

• Sound Devices: Tools that poets use to create specific auditory effects in a poem.

• Musicality of Language: How poets use sounds to create a song-like quality.

• Emphasis: How sound devices can draw attention to certain words or ideas.

• Mood and Tone: The emotional atmosphere and the author's attitude conveyed through sound.

• Pattern and Flow: The structured or natural movement of a poem's lines.

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• Examples

• End Rhyme: "The cat sat on the mat / And that was that."

• Internal Rhyme: "I flew through the blue sky."

• Slant Rhyme: "He heard the car / Go very far."

• Rhythm: The natural flow of a nursery rhyme like "Twinkle, twinkle, little star."

• Meter (Iambic Pentameter): "Shall I comPARE thee TO a SUMmer's DAY?"

• Alliteration: "She sells sea shells by the seashore."

• Assonance: "The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain." (Repetition of long 'a' sound)

• Consonance: "Mike likes his new bike." (Repetition of 'k' sound)

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• Flashcards

• Term: What is Rhyme?

• Definition: The repetition of similar-sounding words, usually at the end of lines.

• Term: What is the difference between Rhythm and Meter?

• Definition: Rhythm is the general flow of stressed/unstressed syllables; Meter is a specific, predictable pattern of that flow.

• Term: Give an example of Alliteration.

• Definition: "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers."

• Term: What is Assonance?

• Definition: The repetition of vowel sounds within nearby words that do not necessarily rhyme.

• Term: What is Consonance?

• Definition: The repetition of consonant sounds within nearby words, regardless of vowel sounds.

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• Memory Aids

• Rhyme: Really Hear Your Music Echo.

• Story: Imagine a conductor leading an orchestra. The conductor (the poet) uses different sections of the orchestra (rhyme, rhythm, alliteration, etc.) to create different effects. The violins might play a smooth, flowing melody (assonance), while the percussion adds sharp, repeated beats (alliteration). The overall tempo and beat of the song is the rhythm or meter. Each instrument (device) is chosen to contribute to the song's (poem's) emotional impact.

• Mnemonic: Read Really Many Alliterations, Assonances, Consonances (Rhyme, Rhythm, Meter, Alliteration, Assonance, Consonance).

• Acronym: PARC: Patterns, Alliteration, Rhyme, Consonance (helpful for recalling sound devices).

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• Alternative Content

• Think of the sounds in poetry like colors in a painting. Alliteration might be a repeated splash of the same color, assonance a subtle blending of similar hues, and consonance a textured overlay. Rhyme, rhythm, and meter are the composition and brushstrokes that give the painting its overall structure and feel.

• Imagine poetry as a piece of fabric. The threads themselves are the words, but the way they are woven together creates the texture (consonance), the sheen (assonance), and the pattern (rhyme, rhythm, meter, alliteration). Each choice of weave affects the final look and feel of the fabric.

Examples & Applications

Memory Aids

Interactive tools to help you remember key concepts

Glossary