Poetic Device Definition Example My Own Example alliteration the repetition of a sound at Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood the beginning of a word in a there wondering, fearing, Doubting, dreaming sequence of nearby words dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before. (“The Raven,” Poe) onomatopoeia a word whose sound seems to Moo, purr, quack, buzz, hiss, sizzle, etc. resemble closely the sound it OR denotes uncertain rustling of each “…the silken sad OR purple curtain…” (Poe) sounds that imitate another Note how the sound mimics the “s” sound sound of satin curtains rustling Understatement 1) a trope that deliberately “One nuclear bomb can ruin your whole day” understates, for comedic, (1980s bumper sticker) (technically known as ironic, satiric effect. Meiosis or Litotes) 2) making an affirmative Mercutio describing his fatal wound as “a point by negating the scratch, a scratch” opposite (R & J, Shakespeare) 3) the opposite of an hyperbole antithesis A rhetorical figure in which the best of times, it was the worst of “It was two ideas are directly times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the opposed age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.” (Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities)
Poetic Device Definition Example My Own Example alliteration the repetition of a sound at the beginning of a word in a sequence of nearby words Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing, Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before. (“The Raven,” Poe) onomatopoeia a word whose sound seems to resemble closely the sound it denotes OR sounds that imitate another sound Moo, purr, quack, buzz, hiss, sizzle, etc. OR “…the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain…” (Poe) Note how the “s” sound mimics the sound of satin curtains rustling Understatement (technically known as Meiosis or Litotes) 1) a trope that deliberately understates, for comedic, ironic, satiric effect. 2) making an affirmative point by negating the opposite 3) the opposite of an hyperbole “One nuclear bomb can ruin your whole day” (1980s bumper sticker) Mercutio describing his fatal wound as “a scratch, a scratch” (R & J, Shakespeare) antithesis A rhetorical figure in which two ideas are directly opposed “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.” (Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities)