Poetic Techniques Lecture

Poetic
Techniques
Learning Objective
We will learn about the techniques poets use to
convey mood and communicate meaning so we can
analyse how they are used in a range of texts.
Contents 1 Introduction
2 Part 1 - The Sounds of Words
3 Part 2 - The Meaning of Words
4 Part 3 - The Arrangement of Words
5 Part 4 - The Imagery of Words
6 Your Turn
Introduction
Poets are limited in the materials they can use in creating their work – all they have are words to express
ideas and emotions. These words need to be right on several levels at once.
They must be They must

They must sound They must have a arranged in a way encourage deep
right to the listener meaning which is that is easy to thoughts or
as they are read clear and thought- follow but also emotions while
out aloud. provoking. assists the reader's appearing simple
understanding. and self-contained.
Part 1
The Sounds of Words
Certain words can be selected and grouped together to achieve specific effects when we hear them. The
sounds that are created might sound pleasing or soothing, clever or rhythmic, or harsh and uncomfortable
to hear.
The following poetic devices can affect the way a poem sounds when read aloud. It's important to
remember that these deliberate arrangements of words can convey a particular sense of mood, atmosphere
or emotion.
Alliteration
Repeated consonant sounds at the beginning of
words placed near each other or next to each
other.
• Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.

• Slim-pinioned swallows sweep and pass.
• The barbarians broke through the barricade.
Assonance
Repeated vowel sounds in words placed near each
other, usually on the same or adjacent lines.
• I feel stressed and restless.

• The dapper lad chatted to the other happy
chap.
• Johnny went here and there and everywhere.
• Go slow over the road to nowhere.
Onomatopoeia
Words that imitate the natural sound of the thing
they describe.
• The clang of the pots and pans and woke the

baby.
• The wolves howled at the moon.
• Zoom! Went the race car as it sped past the
finish line.
• The bacon sizzled in the pan.
Repetition
The purposeful re-use of words and phrases to
create emphasis or convey a particular effect.
• I will not brush my hair, I will not wear a

dress and I will not clean my room
• We have so much stuff but still buy more
stuff then need storage units to store all the
stuff.
Rhythm
Rhythm is when words are arranged according to stressed
and unstressed syllables so that they make a pattern or
beat. Verses might contain a certain cumber of syllables to
create this pattern. Rhythm helps to distinguish poetry
from prose.
Some common rhythms include iamb (x /), trochee (/ x) or

spondee (/ /).
You can usually hear rhythm if you hum the words instead
of saying them.
Rhyme & Rhyme Scheme
Rhyme refers to words that have different beginning sounds but whose endings
sound alike, including the final vowel sound and everything following it.
Rhyme scheme refers to the pattern established by the arrangement of rhymes

in a stanza or poem, generally described by using letters of the alphabet to
denote the recurrence of rhyming lines.
Capital letters in the alphabetic rhyme scheme are used for the repeating
rhyming words at the end of each verse. The letters X and Y indicate unrhymed
lines. In quatrains, the popular rhyme scheme of ABAB is called alternate
rhyme or cross rhyme and the ABBA scheme is called envelope rhyme.
Part 2
The Meanings of
Words
A word can be carefully selected to convey a precise idea but some words can carry several layers or
depths of meaning at the same time. Poets can use these or combine them with other words for particular
effects.
Some techniques that can enhance the meaning of words are as follows.
Simile
Creates a comparison between two things by using
the words 'like' or 'as'.
• The desert was as dry as a bone.

• Her tempers were like an uncontrollable storm.
• He's as cool as a cucumber.
• Rain plastered the land until it was shining like
hammered lead.
Metaphor
Creates a comparison by stating that one thing is
another or does the actions of another.
• The wind was a torrent of darkness among

the gusty trees.
• Her fingers danced across the keyboard.
• His stomach was a twisted storm of
butterflies.
Personification
Attributing human characteristics to an inanimate
object, animal, or abstract idea.
• As I climbed the stairs, the staircase groaned

as if awoken from a long sleep.
• The days crept by slowly, sorrowfully.
• Seaweed snatched at his legs as he tried to
swim away.
Symbolism
When a simple or ordinary object, event, animal,
or person represents deeper meaning or
significance.
• The dove is a symbol of peace.

• A red rose stands for love or romance.
• A skull can represent danger or death.
• A fork in the road may symbolise a choice or
a decision.
Word Choice & Connotation
Connotations are the ideas or feelings evoked by a word. These are
the implications or associations we might form which are different
to a word's literal meaning.
E.g. The words ‘animal’ and ‘beast’ refer to the same type of
creature but the second term has connotations of wildness and
savagery.
E.g. The words ‘house’ and ‘home’ have the same denotation but
the word ‘home’ has connotations of warmth, family, safety,
belonging etc.
Other Language Features
Paradox A statement which seems contradictory • You’ve got to be cruel to be kind
but may reveal an unexpected truth. • I can resist anything but temptation
• The only constant is change
Oxymoron A combination of two words that appear • Bittersweet

to contradict each other. • Clearly confused
• Seriously funny
• Deafening silence
Euphemism An understatement, used to lessen the • She is at rest

effect of a statement that might sound • I need to use the ladies room
harsh, offensive or hurtful. • I'm currently between jobs
• She's a late bloomer
Other Language Features
Idiom A group of words established by usage • I was over the moon.
as having a meaning not deducible from • Put in some elbow grease.
those of the individual words. • She was sitting on the fence.
• I have my finger on the pulse.
Metonym A figure of speech in which a person, • The pen is mightier than the sword.
place or thing is referred to by • Wall Street braces for further rate
something closely associated with it. rises.
Allusion A brief reference to a person, historical • I thought the software would be

event, biblical or mythological situation useful, but it was a Trojan Horse.
or character. • Chocolate cake is my kryptonite.
Part 3
The Arrangement of
Words
The poet decides on how the words are arranged into a certain order or sequence to achieve a particular
effect. The structure of the poem can also contribute to its overall meaning.
Some words used to identify the structure and arrangement of a poem are as follows.
Point of View
The vantage point of the speaker. In poetry, this is also sometimes
referred to as the persona.
• First person – the speaker is a character in the story or poem and

tells it from his/her perspective (uses “I”).
• Second person - an unusual form of storytelling that addresses the
reader directly (uses “you”)
• Third person limited – the speaker is not part of the story, but tells
about the other characters through the limited perceptions of one
other person (uses “he”, “she” or “they”)
• Third person omniscient – the speaker is not part of the story, but
is able to “know” and describe what all characters are thinking
(uses “he”, “she” or “they”)
Verses & Stanzas
A verse is one single line of a poem arranged in a metrical
pattern.
A stanza is a group of verses where the lines are arranged

into a unit and often repeated in the same pattern
throughout the poem (similar to a paragraph).
Poems are made up of multiple verses and stanzas and

poets can make particular choices in the length and number
of verses and stanzas for various purposes.
Enjambment
When lines or verses have incomplete syntax and the meaning runs
over from one poetic line to the next without punctuation.
It might be used for the following reasons:

• fosters fluidity to allow a more narrative-like style within a
poem as thoughts aren't confined to a single verse
• increases the pace or momentum by eliminateing pauses at
each line break so the reader continues onto the next verse
more quickly
• moves the reazder forward to reach the resolution of the poet's
thought sooner
Poetic Forms
Blank Verse - Poetry written with a precise meter Ballad - A form of narrative verse that can be
(almost always iambic pentameter) that does not either poetic or musical. It typically follows a
rhyme. pattern of rhymed quatrains.
Rhymed poetry - In contrast to blank verse, these Sonnet - A 14 line poem, typically on the topic of
poems rhyme although their rhyme scheme can love that contains internal rhymes within their
vary. lines.
Free Verse - Poetry that lacks a consistent rhyme Limerick - A 5 line poem that consists of a single
scheme, metrical pattern, or musical form. stanza, an AABBA rhyme scheme, and focuses on
a short tale or description, often humorous.
Part 4
The Imagery of Words
Although poems explore deep human emotions or thoughts, an audience won't generally respond very
strongly unless the poem creates imagery. These are the vivid mental pictures or sensations created
through descriptive words.
The poet must include these details that calls upon the five senses in order to show the reader rather than
to merely tell them about the subject. The six main types of imgagery are as follows.
Visual Imagery
Imagery that calls upon our sense of sight.
E.g. The shimmering sun bounced waves of light off the

surface of the ocean.
Aural Imagery
Imagery that calls upon our sense of sound.
E.g. She could hear the gentle whisper of the breeze and
the chirping of the birds.
Olfactory Imagery
Imagery that calls upon our sense of smell.
E.g. The sticky sweet scent of cinamon donuts wafted in

the air.
Tactile Imagery
Imagery that calls upon our sense of touch.
E.g. She could still taste the salty sea water on her lips.
Gustatory Imagery
Imagery that calls upon our sense of taste.
E.g. The grass prickled his skin as he lay on the sports

ground.
Kinesthetic Imagery
Imagery that calls upon our sense of movement.
E.g. Tripping and stumbling she lurched towards the

traitor with her arms outstretched.

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Poetic

2 Part 1 - The Sounds of Words

3 Part 2 - The Meaning of Words

4 Part 3 - The Arrangement of Words

5 Part 4 - The Imagery of Words

They must be They must

The Sounds of Words

• Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.

• I feel stressed and restless.

• The clang of the pots and pans and woke the

• I will not brush my hair, I will not wear a

Some common rhythms include iamb (x /), trochee (/ x) or

Rhyme scheme refers to the pattern established by the arrangement of rhymes

• The desert was as dry as a bone.

• The wind was a torrent of darkness among

• As I climbed the stairs, the staircase groaned

• The dove is a symbol of peace.

Oxymoron A combination of two words that appear • Bittersweet

Euphemism An understatement, used to lessen the • She is at rest

Allusion A brief reference to a person, historical • I thought the software would be

• First person – the speaker is a character in the story or poem and

A stanza is a group of verses where the lines are arranged

Poems are made up of multiple verses and stanzas and

It might be used for the following reasons:

The Imagery of Words

Imagery that calls upon our sense of sight.

E.g. The shimmering sun bounced waves of light off the

Imagery that calls upon our sense of sound.

Imagery that calls upon our sense of smell.

E.g. The sticky sweet scent of cinamon donuts wafted in

Imagery that calls upon our sense of touch.

Imagery that calls upon our sense of taste.

E.g. The grass prickled his skin as he lay on the sports

Imagery that calls upon our sense of movement.

E.g. Tripping and stumbling she lurched towards the

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