Poetic+Devices+Definitions

An extreme exaggeration; not intended to be taken literally. //"You are the best teacher in the whole world!"//
 * Hyperbole**

Using two or more words that start with the same sound. //"Eleven elegant elephants eating eggplant."//
 * Alliteration**

The way poems flow. It is a more physical, literal way of looking at poems. //"The fat cat sat on a mat."//
 * Rhythm & Rhyme**

Saying that one thing is another; not literally, but to prove a point. //"Mr. Janzen is a god."//
 * Metaphor**

A comparison between two things, showing how they are the same. Often expressed using similes. //"I was as happy as smiley-faced balloon."//
 * Analogy**

Saying the same thing multiple times. //"'I'm hungry. I'm hungry,' said the hippo."//
 * Repetition**

Giving an inanimate object human characteristics. //"The oatmeal was sad."//
 * Personification**

An indirect reference to a person, place, event, or thing. //"The tourists walked past the Mona Lisa without a glance, and continued to the ice cream shop."//
 * Allusion**

The use of a tame phrase to replace something that could be offensive. //"My grandmother stubbornly refuses to kick the bucket."//
 * Euphemism**

Using words that appeal to any of the senses. //"Although the frying pan burned my hand, the bacon tasted delicious."//
 * Imagery**

A contradiction between assumption and reality. //"The pirates made sure to eat plenty of oranges to avoid scurvy, but the ended up dying from citrus poisoning."//
 * Irony**

Using words incorrectly, especially when it sounds similar to a correct word, often humorously or ridiculously. //"He is the beast cellist in the world."//
 * Malapropism**

Using words that sound like what they mean. //"Crunch!"//
 * Onomatopoeia**

A contradictory phrase. //"The jaguar's death was vivacious."//
 * Oxymoron**

Pointing out flaws, to be ridiculed and scorned. //"Conservatives are greedy grapefruits who give tax breaks to large corporations, while small business owners get crushed by the unrelenting wheels of consumerism!"//
 * Satire**

The comparison of two things using like or as. //"The hamster was as angry as a gerbil."//
 * Simile**

Using an object to represent something else. //"The monkey reached through the bars of his cage, but the flower was out of his grasp."//
 * Symbol**

The main idea behind any work of art. //"The book had very strong themes of betrayal."//
 * Theme**