Haozhi's Poetic Devices

Rhyme

E.g. Hat, Cat, Brat, Fat, Mat, Sat

Alliteration 

E.g. Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers
Alice’s aunt ate apples and acorns around August.
Becky’s beagle barked and bayed, becoming bothersome for Billy.
Carrie's cat clawed her couch, creating chaos.
Dan’s dog dove deep in the dam, drinking dirty water as he dove.
Eric’s eagle eats eggs, enjoying each episode of eating.
Fred’s friends fried Fritos for Friday’s food.
Garry’s giraffe gobbled gooseberryies greedily, getting good at grabbing goodies.

Onomatopoeia

E.g. Screech, Buzz, Clang, Toot, Bang, Rattle, splash, growl, bam, swoosh, bark

Simile

E.g. as big as an elephant, as free as a bird, as blind as a bat, as black as coal, as brave as a lion, as busy as a bee, as clear as crystal, as cold as ice

Metaphor

E.g. Sea of grief, Broken heart, The light of my life, Time is a thief, He is the apple of my eye

Hyperbole

E.g. I am so hungry I could eat a horse.
I had a ton of homework.
I have a million things to do.
If I can’t buy that new game, I will die.
He is as skinny as a toothpick.

Personification

E.g. The first rays of morning tiptoed through the meadow.
The stars danced playfully in the moonlit sky.
The run down house appeared depressed.
She did not realize that opportunity was knocking at her door.
He did not realize that his last chance was walking out the door.
The bees played hide and seek with the flowers as they buzzed from one to another.
The wind howled its mighty objection.
The snow swaddled the earth like a mother would her infant child.

Symbolism


E.g. Time is money, Life is a roller-coaster, He is a rock, Love is a jewel


Imagery

E.g.  He fumed and charged like an angry bull
He fell down like an old tree falling down in a storm.
He felt like the flowers were waving him a hello.
The eerie silence was shattered by her scream.
He could hear his world crashing down when he heard the news about her.
The F-16 swooped down like an eagle after its prey.
The word spread like leaves in a storm.
The lake was left shivering by the touch of morning wind.

Free Verse

E.g. 

Fog by Carl Sandburg

The fog comes

on little cat feet.

It sits looking

over harbor and city

on silent haunches

and then moves on.

After the Sea-Ship by Walt Whitman

After the Sea-Ship—after the whistling winds;

After the white-gray sails, taut to their spars and ropes,

Below, a myriad, myriad waves, hastening, lifting up their necks,

Tending in ceaseless flow toward the track of the ship.

Allusion

E.g. 

• “He was a Good Samaritan yesterday when he helped the lady start her car.” This refers to the biblical story of the Good Samaritan. 
• “She turned the other cheek after she was cheated out of a promotion.” This comes from teaching of Jesus that you should not get revenge. 
• “This place is like a Garden of Eden.” The Garden of Eden was the paradise God made for Adam and Eve. 
• “You are a Solomon when it comes to making decisions.” This refers to King Solomon, who was very wise.
• “When the volcano erupted, the nearby forest was swallowed up in dust and ash like Jonah.” Jonah was a person who was swallowed alive by a whale. 
• “It is raining so hard, I hope it doesn’t rain for 40 days and 40 nights.” This makes a reference to the biblical story of Noah and the ark he built. He was told by God that it would rain for 40 days and 40 nights and flood the land.