Creative Writing: Poetic Devices

Week 14: Poetic Devices

1. Complete the poetry analysis worksheet to learn how poets use some of these devices. 
2. Review some major forms of figurative language by completing 15-20 examples on the worksheet.
3. Alliteration Tongue Twisters:  Write an original alliteration tongue twister that incorporates at least seven alliterations with the same initial sound and (at least somewhat) makes sense.

Remember, alliteration is when two or more words share the same initial sound

• Ex. “Down and Dirty”

When you string a bunch of alliteration together, you get a tongue twister.

• Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.

4.  Write a limerick, a five line poem that follows the rhyme scheme A A B B A, in which the “A” lines are eight or nine syllables and the “B” lines are six syllables.  See three different examples below:  

There once was a gray poodle named Spark.       (A= "ark," 9 syllables long)
 Quite talkative, he so liked to bark.                     (A= "ark," 9 syllables long)
 Sometimes running he found                             (B= "ound," 6 syllables long)
 His feet all off the ground                                 (B= "ound," 6 syllables long)
 Especially on "walks" in the park.                      (A= "ark," 9 syllables long)

There once was a girl who loved rhyme;   (8 syllables)
 She felt her writing was sublime.             (8 syllables)
 Indeed quite a poet,                                 (6 syllables)
 Though some didn't know it,                    (6 syllables)
 She'd be rich if each paid a dime.              (8 syllables)

There was a mean clown in the circus.
 For fun he would push us and jerk us.
 He would hit us with pies
 That left cream in our eyes.
 His act never once failed to irk us.