Poetic Devices are certain literary expressions that add spice and pepper to literary works.
Whether you are a fiction writer, blogger, or poet, you can add these expressions to your writing to give them an aesthetic look.
A lot of poets have used them in their poems to make them memorable. Click here for more information.
But, what are these poetic devices?
Let’s discuss poetic devices and examples of certain poetic expressions which every writer should know.
What is a Poetic Device?
A poetic device is a use of certain words, expressions, sounds, and forms that add a poetic look to your writing.
Poetic devices add literal and figurative meanings to your writing, letting you express your deep feelings and meanings in a few words.
These few words are full of literary and aesthetic feelings which will enhance your writing and will keep your audience engaged.
This is the definition and purpose of poetic devices. Now, let’s discuss some examples of poetic devices.
Examples of Poetic Devices:
1. Metaphor:
A metaphor is a poetic device that you can use to compare two products. You can compare an object with a human, or an idea with an object.
It is used in poetry to deliver the gravity of a problem or to emphasize something.
For example, rollercoasters of emotions can be a metaphor in which the emotions of a certain person are compared with rollercoasters.
2. Irony:
The irony is a specific expression or word which exaggerates the situation to convey a meaning which is opposite to the fact.
There are different types of irony.
One is basic irony in which a person says something opposite to the fact.
For example, someone says that they love winter but in reality, they don’t.
The other type of irony is situational irony in which a situation occurs that contradicts expectations.
For example, robbery at a police station. Police are supposed to save citizens from a robbery but they become the victim of it.
This type of irony is mostly used humorously.
The third type is dramatic irony in which the audience knows something but the characters don’t.
3. Meter:
A meter is a poetic device that adds rhythm to the poem. It decides the length of the line in the poem and gives the idea to the audience of what to expect in a verse.
For example, there is a pattern known as iambic pentameter which works in the poem like a heartbeat.
It contains five feet which have stressed and unstressed syllables.
Shakespeare is a famous poet who uses iambic pentameter in his poetry.
4. Personification:
Personification is a literary device that gives human qualities to different objects.
The purpose of this is to convey the specific feelings of a person indirectly.
For example, Sylvia Plath in her poem Mirror uses a lot of personifications. She gave human qualities to a mirror, depicting her emotions through it.
5. Assonance:
Assonance is a specific poetic device that can add rhyme and musical sound to your poetry.
It is the repetition of vowel sounds in the same or following lines of a poem.
It doesn’t mean that you have to use the vowels to create the sound. It means you just have to use certain words to create vowel rhyming sounds.
For example, in the “Tyger” poem, William Blake used the assonance of “i” and “y” sounds.
6. Alliteration:
Alliteration’s purpose is similar to assonance but it uses consonant sounds at the beginning of words.
Assonance includes vowel sounds anywhere in the word, but alliteration focuses on consonant sounds at the beginning of words.
7. Onomatopoeia:
These poetic devices include certain words and expressions which can mimic the sound of what is described in the poem.
These words are used to give readers an idea about the sounds the characters of the poem are hearing
For example, smash, ripple, crack, etc.
8. Rhetorical Questions:
Rhetorical questions are those which are not looking for the answer but are asked to emphasize something or to intrigue the readers.
Poets ask these types of questions to show their feelings of depression, happiness, or helplessness.
For example, in “Ode to the West Wind”, Shelly asked the rhetorical question:
“If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?”
Wrap Up:
In this article, we have discussed different poetic devices which are as easy to learn as learning the English language.
Though there are a lot of poetic devices, we have discussed only eight poetic devices which are crucial and mostly used in poetry.
These poetic devices can spice up your writing, but be careful in using them.
Overusing these poetic devices can kill your poem’s theme, and can make it difficult for your readers to enjoy it.
So, sprinkle them a bit in your poetry and see their magic.
