This lesson will focus on poetic devices. Poetic devices are ways we use language to impart a message. They can help a poem flow better, sound better, or may give the text deeper meaning.
Poetic Device, Definition, and Example:
Alliteration: When words near each other start with the same letter or sound. For example: The talented teacher taught terrifically.
Metaphor: When you compare two concepts which are not alike but share something in common, generally the two concepts are connected using the words "is, were, was, or are". For example: The classroom is a zoo or the snow was a white blanket on the lawn.
Simile: When you compare two concepts which are not alike using the words "like" or "as." For example: The student was as smart as a whip, or they were brave like a lion.
Onomatopoeia: When a word is spelled like how it sounds. For example: BOOM, crackle, hiss, snap, pop.
Personfication: When a non-human thing is given human qualities. For example: The rock had seen many winters pass by or the branches waved in the wind.
Repetition: When the same word or phrase is repeated more than once in order to bring more attention to it or make meaning clearer. For example: To herself she whispered, "I want to go home, I want to go home, I want to go home..." Or the door shook with each knock: BANG, BANG, BANG!
Activity:
1) Get out your notes on poetic devices.
2) Listen as I read the poem out loud.
3) Try to find the poetic device or devices located in the poem.
4) After the poem is read discuss what you think with the person beside you.
5) Then raise your hand to share what you think with the class.
6) Repeat steps 2-5 with another poem.