RHYME SCHEME

Find the Rhyming Scheme

I wandered lonely as a cloud

That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
 Literary Devices

Figures of speech/literary devices lend themselves particularly well to literature and

poetry. They also pack a punch in speeches and movie lines. Indeed, these tools
abound in nearly every corner of life. Let's start with one of the more lyrical devices:

Simile

A simile is a comparison between two unlike things using the words "like" or "as."

Examples include:

 As slippery as an eel
 Like peas in a pod
 As blind as a bat
 Eats like a pig
 As wise as an owl

Metaphor

A metaphor makes a comparison between two unlike things or ideas.

Examples include:

 Heart of stone – metaphor (heart is like a stone – simile)

 Time is money
 The world is a stage
 She's a night owl
 He's an ogre

Personification

Personification gives human qualities to non-living things or ideas.

Examples include:

 The flowers nodded.

 The snowflakes danced.
 The thunder grumbled.
 The fog crept in.
 The wind howled.
 Love is blind.
 Death lays its icy hands even on kings.

Irony or Sarcasm

Irony occurs when there's a marked contrast between what is said and what is meant,
or between appearance and reality.

Examples include:
 "How nice!" she said, when I told her I had to work all weekend. (Verbal irony)
 A traffic cop gets suspended for not paying his parking tickets. (Situational irony)
 The Titanic was said to be unsinkable but sank on its first voyage. (Situational irony)
 Naming a tiny Chihuahua Brutus. (Verbal irony)
 He is the most intelligent boy that ever failed in the examination. (Verbal irony)

Synecdoche

Synecdoche occurs when a part is represented by the whole or, conversely, the
whole is represented by the part.

Examples include:

 Wheels - a car (he came here on wheels – wheels = a car)

 The police - one policeman
 Plastic - credit cards (he paid using plastic – plastic = credit card)
 Coke - any cola drink
 Hired hands – workers
 He is worthy in his steel. (Steel-sword)
 He has many mouths to feed. (many mouths-big family)
 I am a poor creature. (poor creature = man)
 Five more hands are needed. (five more hands-people)
 All the best brains in Europe could not solve the problem. (All the best brains =
scientists, noblemen)
 brazil - a team from Brazil, Germany- a team from
Germany ( a word representing whole) therefore its
synecdoche

Have you ever checked out someone's wheels? Put

on a Band-Aid after getting a cut? Cheered on New
York during a football game? Even if you haven't, I
bet you perfectly understand what each of those
sentences mean: That when I say 'wheels' I mean
'car,' when I say 'Band-Aid' I mean an adhesive
bandage and when I say 'New York,' I mean
whichever team from New York happens to be
playing.
 These are all examples of synecdoche. In
synecdoche, a part of something is used to refer to
the whole entity
EXTRA-Litotes-ironic understatement in which an affirmative is
expressed by the negative of its contrary
Litotes – negative (no/not) + an opposite word – meaning gets changed
and a new meaning comes
Eg: no fool - smart

Hyperbole/exaggeration

Hyperbole uses exaggeration for emphasis or effect.

Examples include:

 I've told you to stop a thousand times.

 That must have cost a billion dollars.
 I could do this forever.
 She's older than dirt.
 Everybody knows that.
 Onomatopoeia

Onomatopoeia is the term for a word that sounds like what it is describing.

Examples include:

 Whoosh
 Splat
 Buzz
 Click
 Oink
 Huss
 Hum
 Thunder
 lapping

Oxymoron

An oxymoron is two contradictory terms used together.

Examples include:

 Peace force
 Kosher ham
 Jumbo shrimp
 Sweet sorrow
 Free market
 An open secret
 A wise fool
 An honest rogue
 An honourable thief
 Life is bitter sweet!
 Anaphora

Anaphora is a technique where several phrases or verses begin with the same word or
words.

Examples include:

 I came, I saw, I conquered. - Julius Caesar

 Mad world! Mad kings! Mad composition! - King John II, William Shakespeare
 It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the
age of foolishness. - A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens
 With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right. - Abraham
Lincoln
 We shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end... we shall never surrender. - Winston
Churchill

Epiphora or Epistrophe
Epistrophe is the repetition of one or more words at the end of a phrase, clause, verse, or
sentence. This type of rhetorical device is also referred to as "epiphora." The reverse of an
epistrophe is an anaphora, which is the repetition of words at the beginning of a phrase, clause,
verse, or sentence.

 For no government is better than the men who compose it, and I want the best, and we
need the best, and we deserve the best. - John F. Kennedy
 And that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish
from the Earth. - Abraham Lincoln
 There is no Negro problem. There is no Southern problem. There is no
Northern problem. There is only an American problem. - Lyndon Johnson
 There is nothing wrong with America that cannot be cured by what is right with
America. - Bill Clinton
 The time for the healing of the wounds has come. The moment to bridge the chasms
that divides us has come. - Nelson Mandela

Refrain or Repetition
Refrain is a verse, a line, a set, or a group of lines that appears at the end of stanza, or
appears where a poem divides into different sections. It originated in France, where it is
popular as, ‘refraindre’, which means “to repeat.” Refrain is a poetic device that repeats,
at regular intervals, in different stanzas. However, sometimes, this repetition may
involve only minor changes in its wording. It also contributes to the rhyme of a poem
and emphasizes an idea through repetition.

Examples of Refrain in Literature

Example #1: One Art (By Elizabeth Bishop)

“The art of losing isn’t hard to master;
so many things seem filled with the intent
to be lost that their loss is no disaster…
Lose something every day. Accept the fluster
of lost door keys, the hour badly spent.
The art of losing isn’t hard to master
though it may look like (Write it!) like disaster.”

In this example, the poet has repeatedly used the refraining line “The art of losing isn’t
hard to master” throughout the poem. This refraining line is creating rhythm as well as
emphasizing the idea. Notice that this line, though, varies slightly in the final stanza, yet
is still considered to be a refrain.

Example #2: Annabel Lee (By Edgar Allan Poe)

“It was many and many a year ago,
In a kingdom by the sea,
That a maiden there lived whom you may know …

I was a child and she was a child,

In this kingdom by the sea,
But we loved with a love that was more than love —
I and my Annabel Lee …”

The poet is using refraining line “In a kingdom by the sea.” This appears in the second
line of each stanza, and recurs in the final line of the third stanza, drawing readers’
attention, and contributing to its meter and rhythm.

Euphemism
 Euphemism is a mild, indirect, or vague term that often substitutes a harsh, blunt, or
offensive term.

Examples include:

 'A little thin on top' instead of 'going bald.'

 'Fell of the back of a truck' instead of 'stolen.'
 'Letting you go' instead of 'firing you.'
 'Passed away' instead of 'died.'
 'Economical with the truth' instead of 'liar.'

Imagery
Usually it is thought that imagery makes use of particular words that create
visual representation of ideas in our minds. The word “imagery” is associated
with mental pictures. However, this idea is but partially correct. Imagery, to be
realistic, turns out to be more complex than just a picture. Read the following
examples of imagery carefully:

 It was dark and dim in the forest.

The words “dark” and “dim” are visual images.
 The children were screaming and shouting in the fields.
“Screaming” and “shouting” appeal to our sense of hearing, or auditory
sense.
 He whiffed the aroma of brewed coffee.
“Whiff” and “aroma” evoke our sense of smell, or olfactory sense.
 The girl ran her hands on a soft satin fabric.
The idea of “soft” in this example appeals to our sense of touch, or
tactile sense.
 The fresh and juicy orange is very cold and sweet.
“Juicy” and “sweet” – when associated with oranges – have an effect on
our sense of taste, or gustatory sense.
ALLUSION
An allusion is a figure of speech that references a person, place, thing, or event.
Each of these concepts can be real or imaginary, referring to anything from
fiction, to folklore, to historical events and religious manuscripts.
ENJAMBMENT
Definition of Enjambment
Enjambment is a term used in poetry to refer to lines that end without
punctuation and without completing a sentence or clause. When a poet uses
enjambment, he or she continues a sentence beyond the end of the line into
a subsequent line or lines. Enjambment is also sometimes thought of as the
running on of a thought beyond a line or stanza without a syntactical break.

Example 1
We were dancing—it must have

been a foxtrot or a waltz,

something romantic but

requiring restraint,

This excerpt from Rita Dove’s “American Smooth” uses enjambment between
“have” and “been” and “but” and “requiring” whereas “waltz” ends with a
comma as an end-stopped line.
SYMBOLISM
Definition of Symbolism
When used as a literary device, symbolism means to imbue objects with a
certain meaning that is different from their original meaning or function.
Authors use symbolism to tie certain things that may initially seem
unimportant to more universal themes. The symbols then represent these
grander ideas or qualities. For instance, an author may use a particular color
that on its own is nothing more than a color, but hints at a deeper meaning.

 Wedding rings and engagement rings: Wedding and engagement rings are
worn to symbolize a lasting union that a couple has entered into.

 The American flag: The thirteen red and white stripes on the American
flag symbolize the original thirteen colonies, while the fifty stars are a
symbol for the fifty states.

Class-10th-CBSE

In Frost’s poem, “Fire and Ice,” the speaker symbolizes fire as desire or
love, and ice is symbolized to be destruction and hate. Another way to
symbolize ice in this poem is coldness. Frost immediately connects fire
with desire because of its perfect rhyme.

Apostrophe
 Direct address to the dead, to the absent or to a personified object or
idea.

O wind! If winter comes, can spring be far behind. (Shelley)

Milton! Thou should be living at this hour. (William Wordsworth)

Transferred Epithet
An epithet is a word or phrase (adjective) which describes the main quality
of someone or something.

For example: 'a happy person'.

Epithets are usually adjectives like 'happy' that describe a noun like 'person'.

Transferred epithet is when this adjective is transferred to a different noun

like 'Happy birthday'.

Examples
'The builders were working at a dizzy height.'

Heights can't literally be dizzy, they have no feelings. The transferred epithet
intensifies the height. How high up would you need to be to feel dizzy?

More examples

 'sleepless nights'
 'a wonderful day'
 'wide-eyed amazement'
 'He pointed an angry finger at me.'
 'She looked at him through concerned eyes.'

Transferred Epithet vs Personification

 I lay all night on my sleepless pillow. (Transferred Epithet)
 The pillow nodded. (Personification)

Figures of Speech: RELATED TO SOUND

Alliteration

Alliteration is the repetition of the beginning sounds of neighboring words.

Examples include:

 She sells seashells.

 Walter wondered where Winnie was.
 Blue baby bonnets bobbed through the bayou.
 Nick needed new notebooks.
 Fred fried frogs' legs on Friday.

Assonance

Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds (not just letters) in words that are
close together. The sounds don't have to be at the beginning of the word.

Examples include:

 A - For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels named Lenore. (Poe)
 E - Therefore, all seasons shall be sweet to thee. (Coleridge)
 I - From what I've tasted of desire, I hold with those who favor fire. (Frost)
 O - Oh hear old Triton blow his wreathed horn. (Wordsworth)
 U - Uncertain rustling of each purple curtain. (Poe)

Consonance
Consonance is the repetition of consonants in quick succession in a
sentence:

Examples include:

Grassy summer days

pitter patter

NOTE: Alliteration happens when consonant sounds are repeated in two or more words in a
sentence that are located next to or near each other, for example, 'She sells
seashells'. Consonance generally occurs when consonant sounds are repeated in the middle
or end of a word, for example, 'easy peasy lemon squeezy'.
Poetic Licence
the freedom to depart from the facts of a matter or from the conventional rules of language when
speaking or writing in order to create an effect.

Or

the right assumed by poets to alter or invert standard syntax or depart from common diction or
pronunciation to comply with the metrical or tonal requirements of their writing.

Eg:
“he gave her a red rose” into “he gave her a rose red.” This can be done to sound more artistic,
to change the emphasis of a word or to help the rhyming pattern.

EXERCISES

1. The righteous shall flourish as the palm tree.

simile
metaphor
personification
2. Life is as tedious as a twice-told tale.
Simile
Metaphor
Hyperbole
3. The camel is the ship of the desert.
Simile
Metaphor
Oxymoron
4. Variety is the spice of life.
Simile
Personification
Metaphor
5. Pride goeth forth on horseback, grand and gay.
Oxymoron
Apostrophe
Personification
6. O Solitude! Where are the charms that sages have seen in thy face?
Personification
Hyperbole
Apostrophe
7. Death lays his icy hands on kings.
Epigram
Apostrophe
Personification
8. Why, man, if the river were dry, I am able to fill it with tears.
Apostrophe
Metaphor
Hyperbole
9. O Hamlet! Thou hast cleft my heart in twain.
Metaphor
Oxymoron
Hyperbole
10. Here is the smell of blood still; all the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand.
Euphemism
Oxymoron
Hyperbole

Identifying Poetic Devices

Directions: Write which technique is being used on the line. There may be more than one correct answer; you
may write more than one answer. Then, explain how you know your answer. Slashes represent line breaks.
Answers: alliteration, rhyme, onomatopoeia, idiom, simile, metaphor, hyperbole, personification.
Example 1. This falling spray of snow-flakes is / a handful of dead Februaries
What technique is being used? _____Personification and Alliteration____________________________
Alliteration, Rhyme, Onomatopoeia, Idiom, Simile, Metaphor, Hyperbole, or Personification
Explain how you figured it out:
Februaries can’t die like humans can; therefore it is an example of personification. Also, many words
begin with the letter “F” or “S”, so it also has alliteration.

2. The moon is faithful, although blind

What technique is being used? ___________________________________________________________
Alliteration, Rhyme, Onomatopoeia, Idiom, Simile, Metaphor, Hyperbole, or Personification
Explain how you figured it out:

3. children sleeping softly in their bedroom bunks

What technique is being used? ___________________________________________________________
Alliteration, Rhyme, Onomatopoeia, Idiom, Simile, Metaphor, Hyperbole, or Personification
Explain how you figured it out:

4. Time is a green orchard.

What technique is being used? ___________________________________________________________
Alliteration, Rhyme, Onomatopoeia, Idiom, Simile, Metaphor, Hyperbole, or Personification
Explain how you figured it out:

5. At dusk there’s a thin haze like cigarette smoke / ribbons

What technique is being used? ___________________________________________________________
Alliteration, Rhyme, Onomatopoeia, Idiom, Simile, Metaphor, Hyperbole, or Personification
Explain how you figured it out:

6. They chained themselves to subways for the endless ride from Battery Park to the Bronx
What technique is being used? ___________________________________________________________
Alliteration, Rhyme, Onomatopoeia, Idiom, Simile, Metaphor, Hyperbole, or Personification
Explain how you figured it out:
Answers
1. The righteous shall flourish as the palm tree. (Simile)
2. Life is as tedious as a twice-told tale. (Simile)
3. The camel is the ship of the desert. (Metaphor)
4. Variety is the spice of life. (Metaphor)
5. Pride goeth forth on horseback, grand and gay. (Personification)
6. O Solitude! Where are the charms that sages have seen in thy face? (Apostrophe)
7. Death lays his icy hands on kings. (Personification)
8. Why, man, if the river were dry, I am able to fill it with tears. (Hyperbole)
9. O Hamlet! Thou hast cleft my heart in twain. (Hyperbole)
10. Here is the smell of blood still; all the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand. (Hyperbole)
Answers: Identifying Poetic Devices
Directions: Write which technique is being used on the line. There may be more than one correct answer; you
may write more than one answer. Then, explain how you know your answer. Slashes represent line breaks.
Answers: alliteration, rhyme, onomatopoeia, idiom, simile, metaphor, hyperbole, personification.
Example 1. This falling spray of snow-flakes is / a handful of dead Februaries
What technique is being used? _____Personification
Explain how you figured it out:
Februaries can't die like humans can; therefore it is an example of personification. Also, many words
begin with the letter "F" or "S", so it also has alliteration.
2. The moon is faithful, although blind
What technique is being used? Personification
Explain how you figured it out:
3. children sleeping softly in their bedroom bunks
What technique is being used? Alliteration
Explain how you figured it out:
4. Time is a green orchard.
What technique is being used? Metaphor
Explain how you figured it out:
5. At dusk there's a thin haze like cigarette smoke / ribbons
What technique is being used? Simile
Explain how you figured it out:
6. They chained themselves to subways for the endless ride from Battery Park to the
What technique is being used? Hyperbole
Explain how you figured it out: