Features of Poetry

A. Form

Poems have two main forms:

 Structured – Has a pattern either in the number of lines, syllables, or rhymes.

 Free verse – Does not have any pattern either in the number of lines, syllables,
or rhymes.

B. Speaker

The speaker is the person who is addressing the reader. This is usually the poet
himself.

C. Sound

Sound refers to the rhyme, repetition, onomatopoeia, consonance, and assonance of

sounds in a poem.

D. Sensory Images

These are images that we perceive through our senses. Poets use descriptive words to
achieve this.

E. Situation

The characters, time, place, and events in a poem.

F. Theme/Meaning

This is the underlying idea in the poem.

Literary Devices
Literary Devices are used to convey messages in a simple manner. They are
techniques that writers use to provide a greater understanding and new insights on
written material.

Imagery
Using descriptive language and appeals to the senses to improve a reader's
understanding of the text.

Example:

Boracay was bright and sunny.

Explanation

The words bright and sunny appeals to the visual sense.

Example:

The dreadful thunder loudly roared.

The words loudly roared appeals to the sense of hearing.

Simile
Using “as” or “like” to compare two different objects and look for similarity between
them.

Example:

The siblings fought like cats and dogs.

Explanation:

The siblings are compared to cats and dogs using the word like.

Example:

The nurse was as busy as a bee in tending to her patients.

Explanation:

The nurse is compared to the bee using as busy as.

Metaphor
Comparing two different objects and look for similarity between them without using the
words “as” or “like”.

Example:

Pedro, the eldest son, is the rock of their family.

Explanation:

In this example, Pedro is being compared to a rock.

Example:

Annie is such a couch potato, she watches her favorite shows the whole day.
Explanation:

Here, Annie is being described as a couch potato.

Hyperbole
An exaggeration that emphasizes a point.

Example:

The line on the counter is similar to the traffic in EDSA.

Explanation:

It is well known that the traffic in EDSA is really long, and the line in the counter is
exaggeratedly being compared to it.

Example:

I'm so hungry, I could eat a whole cow!

Explanation:

We all know that it is impossible to eat a whole cow, but the speaker is using this
exaggeration to put emphasis on how hungry he is.

Personification
Giving human qualities to objects or animals.

Example:

The moon hid behind the clouds.

Explanation:

The human quality shown in this example is to hide.

Example:

The plants in my garden begged for water.

Explanation:

The human quality that is depicted in this example is to beg.

Alliteration
Repeating the same sound, or group of sounds in a series of words.

Example:

She sells seashells at the seashore.

Explanation:

The /s/ sound was repeated several times in this example.

Example:

Marie married my son Mandy.

Explanation:

The /m/ sound was repeated several times in this example.

Onomatopoeia
Use of words that sound like their meaning or words that mimic sounds.

Example:

Tony munched and gobbled on the peanuts.

Explanation:

Munch and gobble are words that mimic the same sounds.

Example:

The duck on our farm quacked.

Explanation:

Quack is a word that mimics the same sound.