Devices, Devices, Devices!
by Anabhra Verma, General Editor & Blog Writer
Little Jenny was as busy as a bee
Jotting down a lengthy rhyme
But when from her work looked up she
She noticed it was anything but sublime!
Her verses were full of dull terms
Cliched phrases dotted her verse
One look at her work, and Jenny squirmed!
She had to make this quality of writing reverse
But then, in comes a band of poetic devices!
With Simile, Alliteration, and Onomatopoeia too
They transform Jenny’s mundane work into one of her nicest
Jenny gained from them, and so can you!
This poem sums up the strong points provided by poetic devices in our literary works. They add appeal and charisma to any piece of writing and transform it into a glittering, glimmering gem. See what I did there? By repeating the sound of the consonant ‘g’, I could add charm and effectiveness to a seemingly mundane sentence, and make it sound pleasing. You too, can reap benefits by making use of poetic devices and make your writing one to remember!
There are tons of poetic devices in English Literature, and it would be impossible to list all of them, But here are some which are a must for all budding writers-
Alliteration: As you may have guessed, alliteration is the repeated usage of any sound or letter in the first syllable of many words. It’s a fabulous way to thematically link words together or to throw a spotlight on that particular phrase. They are also used to craft tongue twisters. Examples: A bunch of bumbling, babbling baboons; She sells sea shells by the sea-shore; Coca-cola; Krispy Kreme
Irony: This rhetorical device is when your words weave a different story than what they convey and when they don’t match what they mean. Examples: If it were a cold, rainy gray day, you might say, “What a beautiful day!”; A police station being robbed; Water, water, everywhere, not a drop to drink
Onomatopoeia: In layman’s terms, onomatopoeia is a poetic device that describes exactly how it sounds. It gives the impression of actually hearing the writers’ words. Examples: Moo; Hiss; Ring; Splash; Buzz
Simile: A poetic device which compares one thing with another of a different kind, to make the writing more vivid and emphatic. Examples: She is as brave as a lion; The kid can be as quiet as a mouse when he wants to; Shawn was as strong as a bear
Poetic devices are just one of the numerous tools you can use to enhance your writing. For more writing tips and tricks like this one, stay tuned. Cheerio!
