Poetic Devices

Poetic device is one of the forms of literary devices used in the poetry. It is used to build the mood or feeling of the
reader and add life to the poetry.

Sl. No Poetic Device Explanation Example

1. Simile Compares one thing to another (of a different • Pale as a late winter’s
kind and yet alike in some significant way) moon
• Her face ashen like
that of a corpse
• The world is like a
rattrap
• He fought like a king
2. Metaphor A word or phrase for one thing that is used in • Life is a big roller-
place of another thing to show or suggest that coaster ride
they are similar. • Garbage to them is
‘Like’ or ‘as’ is not used in metaphor gold
• He is the big fish that
must be trapped.
3. Alliteration The repetition of consonant sounds, especially • Don’t drink and drive
at the beginning of the words. • The sea washed their
terribly transient toes
• He saw a spider and
snake on the shelf
• Some say the world
will end in fire.
4. Repetition The repeated use of word or word pattern. • All she did was smile,
smile and smile.
• I felt happy to see
happy people make
others happy.
5. Personification The practice of representing an inanimate • The sun stretched its
object or an abstract idea as a person and golden arms and
endowing it with human traits. greeted everyone with
his kind smile
• The trees were
fluttering and dancing
in the breeze.
• I heard my heart cry
at night.
6. Pun The pun can use multiple meanings of the same • I am a mender of bad
word (homonyms) or different meanings of soles
similar sounding words.
7. Antithesis The juxtaposition of contrasting words or ideas • There was both peace
to give a feeling of balance. and war
• Good and evil are the
part of life.
• Spicy food is heaven
on the tongue but hell
in the tummy.
8. Onomatopoeia The formation of a word from a sound • The dog barked all
associated with what is named. the. Night
• They all clapped at
the magnificent
performance of the
kids.
• What a thunderclap
those words to me!
9. Assonance The use of words that have same or very similar • The fat cat had a
vowel sounds near one another. smack. Alas! It was a
tough nut to crack.
 • Well, it rises high into
the bright blue sky.
• Hear the mellow
wedding bells.
10. Oxymoron The conjoining of two contradictory words. • I observed deafening
silence there.
• It was an intelligent
donkey.
11. Synecdoche It is a figure of speech, wherein a part is made • They came on their
to represent the whole. wheels.
• Five brains are enough
to deal with this
problem.
• The ship was lost with
all hands.
12. Epithet It is an adjective, or a phrase given to one for • He was called the
one’s quality. white-haired Director
• They were hard-
earning people.
13. Apostrophe It is used to address a dead/ absent person or • Oh God! where are you
a thing. staying?
• Well Mr. Terror, what
do you think you can
do to me?
• Death, be not proud!
14. Metonymy Substitution of one term for another • I am reading Chetan
Bhagat these days.
• They were listening to
Lata Mangeshkar
15. Imagery It creates a mental picture which is claimed to • Trees were sprinting
be experienced by the author/ poet. at a great speed.
(Visual, auditory, olfactory, gustatory, • Merry children were
kinesthetic) spilling out of their
homes.
16. Hyperbole/ Exaggeration of the simple fact by the author/ • He scored a goal and
Overstatement poet. the entire world rose
to greet him.
17. Euphemism To use inoffensive expression instead of • Death is an eternal
offensive one. sleep.
• My father passed
away at the age of 68.
18. Zeugma Use of a verb in a sentence to modify other • She broke my phone
words. and my heart.
• He took his hat and
his leave from there.
19. Consonance Repetition of consonant sound at the end of the • Slip slop and creek
words. crock
• Tip top of shop
20. Paradox A statement that seems absurd but has a • Child is a father of a
deeper meaning. man
• Coward dies many
times before their
death but valiant dies
only once.
21. Allusion A passing reference to historical event or a • Don’t behave like a
play. Scrooge.
• He picked the bow like
Lord Ram and broke it
into two pieces.
22. Refrain It is a phrase, or a line repeated at intervals in • Men may come and
a poem, especially at the end of every stanza. men may go but I go
on forever.
23. Anaphora It is the repetition of words at the beginning of • And a little yellow dog
successive clause. and a little red wagon,
And a realio, trulio,
little pet dragon.
24. Transferred It is a figure of speech wherein adjective is • When aunt is dead,
Epithet transferred to another noun than it actually her terrified hands
describes. will lie.
25. Contrast It is a literary device through which the poet • Noida is on the
differentiates between two periphery of Delhi yet
persons/places/things or subjects. miles away from it.
26. Symbolism It is a poetic device using an action that means • ‘Clean clothes’-symbol
something more than its literal meaning. of peace and
tranquility
27. Irony It is a literary device which helps to figure out • His name suggests
the difference between reality and appearance. that he is lord of the
universe, but he is a
ragpicker.
28. Allegory It is a narrative/story found in verse that has a •
purpose of elaborating an idea.
29. Parallelism It is a literary device which shows the phrases • That’s one step for
having the same grammatical structure. man, one giant leap for
mankind.
30. Enjambment It is a literary device wherein thoughts and • Life’s but a walking
ideas are carried over to the next line without shadow, a poor player
any pause. That struts and frets
his hour upon the
stage
And then is heard no
more: it is a tale
Told by an idiot, full
of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.
-Macbeth
31. Analogy It is a literary device that is often used to • As cold waters to a
make connections between familiar and thirsty soul
unfamiliar things. So is good news from
a far away land.
32. Satire It is a poetic device that is often used to • The child would
ridicule a folly or vice artfully. become champion of
champions, warrior of
warriors, but he will
have to die one day.