Elements of Poetry

• Sometimes you need to read poems out loud to catch literary devices that the poet wants you to discover.

• Alliteration - repetition of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words. - Sweet, silly songs

• Assonance - repetition of vowel sounds in words that are adjacent or closely connected - Lou drew blue hues all over!

• Onomatopoeia - using a word that resembles the sound it describes: "roar" "boom" "shush" "cackle" "whine" "bang"

• Repetition - words or phrases repeated to create an effect. Lyrics use repetition constantly as hooks to draw your attention.

Also called tail and near rhyme.

Rhyme that appears at the end of the line.

Two or more lines have to rhyme.

Occurs within lines such as "The fair breeze blew, the white foam flew..."

Listen for examples of rhyme, assonance, & consonance, alliteration, and figurative language. Be prepared to list examples from the song at the end.

EXAMPLE: ​

Loving him is like driving a new Maserati down a dead end street

Faster than the wind, passionate as sin, ending so suddenly

Loving him is like trying to change your mind

Once you're already flying through the free fall

Like the colors in autumn, so bright, just before they lose it all​

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​Alliteration

​Simile

​Assonance

​Consonance

​End Rhyme

Use this stanza to find your elements:

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Touching him was like realizing all you ever wanted

Was right there in front of you

Memorizing him was as easy as knowing all the words

To your old favorite song

Fighting with him was like trying to solve a crossword

And realizing there's no right answer

Regretting him was like wishing you never found out

That love could be that strong​

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