Poetic devices

1. Anaphora
Anaphora describes a poem that repeats the same phrase at the beginning of
each line. Sometimes the anaphora is a central element of the poem’s
construction; other times, poets only use anaphora in one or two stanzas, not
the whole piece.

2. Conceit
A conceit is, essentially, an extended metaphor. Which, when you think about it,
it’s kind of stuck-up to have a fancy word for an extended metaphor, so a conceit
is pretty conceited, don’t you think?

3. Apostrophe
Don’t confuse this with the punctuation mark for plural nouns—the literary
device apostrophe is different. Apostrophe describes any instance when the
speaker talks to a person or object that is absent from the poem. Poets employ
apostrophe when they speak to the dead or to a long lost lover, but they also
use apostrophe when writing an Ode to a Grecian Urn or an Ode to the Women
in Long Island.

4. Metonymy & Synecdoche

Metonymy and synecdoche are very similar poetic devices, so we’ll include them
as one item. A metonymy is when the writer replaces “a part for a part,”
choosing one noun to describe a different noun. For example, in the phrase “the
pen is mightier than the sword,” the pen is a metonymy for writing and the
sword is a metonymy for fighting.

Synecdoche is a form of metonymy, but instead of “a part for a part,” the writer
substitutes “a part for a whole.” In other words, they represent an object with
only a distinct part of the object. If I described your car as “a nice set of wheels,”
then I’m using synecdoche to refer to your car. I’m also using synecdoche if I call
your laptop an “overpriced sound system.”

5. Enjambment & End-Stopped Lines

Line breaks can be one of two things: enjambed or end-stopped. End-stopped
lines are lines which end on a period or on a natural break in the sentence.
Enjambment, by contrast, refers to a line break that interrupts the flow of a
sentence: either the line usually doesn’t end with punctuation, and the thought
continues on the next line.

6. Zeugma
A zeugma occurs when one verb is used to mean two different things for two
different objects. For example, I might say “He ate some pasta, and my heart
out.” To eat pasta and eat someone’s heart out are two very different definitions
for ate: one consumption is physical, the other is conceptual. The key here is to
only use “ate” once in the sentence, as a zeugma should surprise the reader.

7. Repetition
Strategic repetition of certain phrases can reinforce the core of your poem. In
fact, some poetry forms require  repetition, such as the villanelle. In a villanelle,
the first line must be repeated in lines 6, 12, and 18; the third line must be
repeated in lines 9, 15, and 19.

8. Internal & End Rhyme

When you think about poetry, the first thing you probably think of is “rhyme.”
Yes, many poems rhyme, especially poetry in antiquity. However, contemporary
poetry largely looks down upon poetry with strict rhyme schemes, and you’re far
more likely to see internal rhyming than end rhyming.

Internal rhyme is just what it sounds like: two rhyming words juxtaposed inside
of the line, rather than at the end of the line. 

9. Alliteration
One of the more defining sound devices in poetry, alliteration refers to the
succession of words with similar sounds. For example: this sentence, so
assiduously steeped in “s” sounds, was sculpted alliteratively.

10. Consonance & Assonance

Consonance refers to consonant sounds, whereas assonance refers to vowel

sounds. You are much more likely to read examples of consonance, as there are
many more consonants in the English alphabet, and these consonants are more
highly defined than vowel sounds. Though assonance is a tougher poetic sound
device, it still shows up routinely in contemporary poetry.

11. Euphony & Cacophony

Poems that master musicality will sound either euphonious or cacophonous.
Euphony, from the Greek for “pleasant sounding,” refers to words or sentences
which flow pleasantly and sound sweetly. Look towards any of the poems we’ve
mentioned or the examples we’ve given, and euphony sings to you like the
muses.

Cacophony is a bit harder to find in literature, though certainly not impossible.

Cacophony is euphony’s antonym, “unpleasant sounding,” though the effect
doesn’t have to be unpleasant to the reader. Usually, cacophony occurs when
the poet uses harsh, staccato sounds repeatedly. 

12. Meter
always remember that Shakespeare wrote in iambic pentameter. I’ll also
remember that iambic pentameter resembles a heartbeat:
“love is a smoke made with the fumes of sighs.” ba-dum, ba-dum, ba-dum.

13. Allegory

An allegory is a story, poem, or other written work that can be interpreted

to have a secondary meaning.

14. Allusion

An allusion is an indirect reference to something.

15. Irony

Irony has a few different meanings. The most common is the use of tone or
exaggeration to convey a meaning opposite to what's being literally said. A
second form of irony is situational irony, in which a situation or event contradicts
expectations, usually in a humorous fashion. A third form is dramatic irony,
where the audience of a play, movie, or other piece of art is aware of something
that the characters are not.

Basic irony, where what someone says doesn't match what they mean, might
look something like this:
16. Metaphor

A metaphor is when a writer compares one thing to another.

17. Pun

A pun is a play on words, using multiple meanings or similar sounds to

make a joke.

18. Rhetorical Question

A rhetorical question is a question asked to make a point rather than in

expectation of an answer

19. Imagery

20. simile

21. Hyperbole

22. Personification