Literary Devices: Rhythm, Meter, Rhyme & Sound

• Literary devices are techniques used in language to create special effects or convey meaning beyond the literal.

Rhythm

• Pattern of beats or stresses in spoken or written language.
• Example: "The sun is high, the sky is blue, the birds are singing just for you."

Meter

• Structured pattern of rhythm in poetry.
• Meter is measured in syllables or beats.
• Example: "Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?" (iambic pentameter)

Rhyme

• Words that have the same ending sounds.
• Example: "The cat sat on the mat."

Assonance

• Repetition of vowel sounds within words in a sentence or phrase.
• Example: "The rain in Spain stays mainly on the plain."

Consonance

• Repetition of consonant sounds in words that are close together.
• Example: "The lumpy, bumpy road stretched ahead."

Personification

• Giving human qualities to non-human things.
• Example: "The angry storm pounded on the roof."

Onomatopoeia

• A word that imitates a sound.
• Example: "The bees buzzed around the flowers."

Alliteration

• Repetition of the same consonant sound at the beginning of words.
• Example: "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers."

Figurative Language

• Language that goes beyond the literal meaning to create special effects.
• Example: "She was as fast as a cheetah in the race." (Simile)

Imagery

• Descriptive language that appeals to the five senses (sight, sound, smell, touch, taste).
• Example: "The warm, gooey chocolate melted in my mouth, filling my senses with sweet delight."