Poetry: Figures of Speech

1. Connect to this link: http://storytrail.com/poetry/poeticdevices.htm

2. Read over this page. Try to learn the definitions of the following poetic figures of speech: alliteration, metaphor, onomatopoeia, and simile.

3. Click the four poem titles at the bottom of the page ("Mask," "Aztec Mask," "We Wear the Mask," and "Hiding in the Mask.") to read each pem. As you read, identify as many examples of alliteration, metaphor, onomatopoeia, and simile as you can. Write down your examples on a separate sheet of paper. Remember that reading aloud can sometimes help you identify figures of speech like alliteration and onomatopoeia.

4. Share your examples with another student in your class. Did the two of you find the same figures of speech? Which figures of speech did you miss? Why do you think you missed them?

To learn about famous poets who used figures of speech like these, connect to http://www.poets.org/page.php/prmID/58.