is paraphrasing a literary device

Definition of Paraphrase Often when we pay attention news memories and watch television shows, we want to inform our families, friends, and colleagues approximately what, how, and why something happened. In fact, we recount the story, its essential characters, and events in our own phrases. This method is referred to as paraphrasing, that is to explicit an concept or somebody’s message in our very own phrases, by keeping the that means of the unique material. Paraphrase is a Greek phrase, paraphrasis, which means “to tell in other words.” Simply, it's far to restate a declaration in one-of-a-kind phrases than the original textual content, whilst retaining the that means and sense of the unique source the equal. Paraphrase and Summary Both summarizing and paraphrasing use similar actions by means of involving almost the equal processes. However, their targets are special. Summary pursuits at condensing the authentic supply right into a shorter form. Paraphrase has no challenge with duration, however is a rewording or restating or the authentic source in distinct phrases, preserving the duration or word count almost the equal. Examples of Paraphrase in Literature Example #1: Romeo & Juliet (By Robert Burns) “But soft, what mild thru yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun. Arise, truthful sun, and kill the envious moon, Who is already ill and light with grief, That thou, her maid, artwork far more honest than she … The brightness of her cheek might shame the ones stars As sunlight hours doth a lamp; her eye in heaven Would through the airy place circulation so bright That birds would sing and assume it were now not night.” Paraphrase: But please be patient the mild from that window. It is the east, and my love Juliet is the sun. Come up lovely sun, kill the jealous moon that is already sick and pale due to grief, as Juliet is extra stunning than the moon … The brightness of Juliet’s cheeks might surpass the brightness of stars, just like the sun’s mild outshines the mild of a lamp. If her eyes were inside the sky, they could be so bright through the spaces that birds might start singing, considering it become day mild. Example #2: The Sun Rising (By John Donne) “Busy antique fool, unruly sun, Why dost thou thus, Through windows and through curtains call on us?… Shine here to us, and thou art everywhere; This bed thy middle is, these partitions, thy sphere.” Paraphrase: You nosy vintage silly busybody! The sun, you obey no everyday rules – why are you waking us up like this, interfering with our personal life by entering thru the home windows and curtains? … Go in advance and shine on us – at the same time as doing so that you will shine everywhere. This mattress is the center of the entire universe, around that you revolve, and the partitions of our room are like a sphere, which holds you in the heavens. Example #3: Pride & Prejudice (By Jane Austen) “It is a reality universally mentioned that a unmarried guy in ownership of an amazing fortune should be in want of a wife.” Paraphrase: Everyone agrees in this point, that a wealthy man desires to have a wife. Example #4: Macbeth (By William Shakespeare) “Whence is that knocking?— How is’t with me, when each noise appals me? What fingers are right here! Ha, they pluck out mine eyes. Will all awesome Neptune’s ocean wash this blood Clean from my hand? No, this my hand will rather The multitudinous seas incarnadine, Making the inexperienced one red.” Paraphrase: Where is this knocking coming from? Why does each noise frighten me? Whose arms are those plucking out my eyes? Will the ocean’s water wash the blood from my arms? No, as an alternative these fingers will alternate the shade of the water from inexperienced to red. Function of Paraphrase The paraphrasing method allows writers to trade the unique textual content, so that it does now not appearance the identical, but without converting its that means. Effective paraphrasing could help keep away from the danger of plagiarism. There are many functions of this literary technique; first, it allows the readers to understand what they have read, specifically when the syntax and diction of a author look foreign and complex to the reader. Secondly, it could direct the eye of the reader closer to the tone of the text and its large details. Finally, because it clears up the which means of the text, it enables readers to generate special questions from the paraphrasing text, along with whilst, what, and why some thing occurred.

• Alliteration
• Anachronism
• Antimetabole
• Aposiopesis
• Characterization
• Colloquialism
• Connotation
• Deus Ex Machina
• Didacticism
• Doppelganger
• Double Entendre
• Flash Forward
• Foreshadowing
• Internal Rhyme
• Juxtaposition
• Non Sequitur
• Onomatopoeia
• Parallelism
• Pathetic Fallacy
• Personification
• Poetic Justice
• Point of View
• Portmanteau
• Protagonist
• Red Herring
• Superlative
• Synesthesia
• Tragicomedy
• Tragic Flaw
• Verisimilitude

• Literary Terms
• When & How to Use Paraphrase
• Definition & Examples

How to Use Paraphrase

In order to use paraphrase,

• Examine an original statement.
• Rephrase that statement in a unique and interesting way.

For an example, consider the examples below.

Original sentence:

Despite Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s election victory, he is still out of the good graces of the Obama administration, which has had to reassess its policy toward Israel.

Paraphrase 1:

Although Netanyahu has won the election, he lacks White House support, which has changed its Israel policy.

This paraphrase simplifies and shortens the message of the original, while maintaining its meaning.

Paraphrase 2:

In reassessing its stance on Israel, the White House has distanced itself further from Netanyahu, despite his successful election.

This rewording turns the focus from Netanyahu to the White House, which may be useful in a paper whose focus is different from the source article.

Paraphrase 3:

 Although Netanyahu won the election, he has not won the Obama administration’s support in the face of issues with Israel.

Here, rewording uses turn of phrase to make a journalistic statement more interesting.

When to Use Paraphrase

Paraphrasing can be used in everyday conversation when reporting what someone else has said as well as in more serious situations. Paraphrases can be found in research papers, formal essays , newspapers, news reports, and documentaries. Paraphrases can be used to explain a complicated direct quote or to rephrase when a direct quote is not necessary.

List of Terms

• Alliteration
• Amplification
• Anachronism
• Anthropomorphism
• Antonomasia
• APA Citation
• Aposiopesis
• Autobiography
• Bildungsroman
• Characterization
• Circumlocution
• Cliffhanger
• Comic Relief
• Connotation
• Deus ex machina
• Deuteragonist
• Doppelganger
• Double Entendre
• Dramatic irony
• Equivocation
• Extended Metaphor
• Figures of Speech
• Flash-forward
• Foreshadowing
• Intertextuality
• Juxtaposition
• Literary Device
• Malapropism
• Onomatopoeia
• Parallelism
• Pathetic Fallacy
• Personification
• Point of View
• Polysyndeton
• Protagonist
• Red Herring
• Rhetorical Device
• Rhetorical Question
• Science Fiction
• Self-Fulfilling Prophecy
• Synesthesia
• Turning Point
• Understatement
• Urban Legend
• Verisimilitude
• Essay Guide
• Cite This Website

Paraphrasing - an overview

Paraphrasing is ..., what are the differences between quoting, paraphrasing & summarising .

• Why Paraphrase?
• Paraphrasing versus Plagiarism
• The Do's and Don'ts of Paraphrasing
• Paraphrasing - examples
• Further Information

Paraphrasing is 'a restating of someone else’s thoughts or ideas in your own words. You must always cite your source when paraphrasing’ (Pears & Shields, 2019 p. 245).  

(Solas English, 2017)

• Quoting means using someone else’s exact words and putting them in quotation marks.. 
• Paraphrasing means expressing someone else’s ideas in your own voice, while keeping the same essential meaning.
• Summarising means taking a long passage of text from someone else and condensing the main ideas in your own words.

Watch the video below for more information.  

(UNC Writing Center, 2019)

• Next: Why Paraphrase? >>
• Last Updated: Apr 10, 2024 3:42 PM
• URL: https://lit.libguides.com/paraphrasing

The Library, Technological University of the Shannon: Midwest

Common literary devices, such as metaphors and similes, are the building blocks of literature, and what make literature so enchanting. Language evolves through the literary devices in poetry and prose; the different types of figurative language make literature spark in different ways.

Consider this your crash course in common literary devices. Whether you’re studying for the AP Lit exam or looking to improve your creative writing, this article is crammed with literary devices, examples, and analysis.

What are Literary Devices?

• Personification
• Juxtaposition
• Onomatopoeia
• Common Literary Devices in Poetry
• Common Literary Devices in Prose
• Repetition Literary Devices
• Dialogue Literary Devices
• Word Play Literary Devices
• Parallelism Literary Devices
• Rhetorical Devices

Let’s start with the basics. What are literary devices?

Literary devices take writing beyond its literal meaning. They help guide the reader in how to read the piece.

Literary devices are ways of taking writing beyond its straightforward, literal meaning. In that sense, they are techniques for helping guide the reader in how to read the piece.

Central to all literary devices is a quality of connection : by establishing or examining relationships between things, literary devices encourage the reader to perceive and interpret the world in new ways.

One common form of connection in literary devices is comparison. Metaphors and similes are the most obvious examples of comparison. A metaphor is a direct comparison of two things—“the tree is a giant,” for example. A simile is an in direct comparison—“the tree is like a giant.” In both instances, the tree is compared to—and thus connected with—something (a giant) beyond what it literally is (a tree).

Other literary devices forge connections in different ways. For example, imagery, vivid description, connects writing richly to the worlds of the senses. Alliteration uses the sound of words itself to forge new literary connections (“alligators and apples”).

By enabling new connections that go beyond straightforward details and meanings, literary devices give literature its power.

What all these literary devices have in common is that they create new connections: rich layers of sound, sense, emotion, narrative, and ultimately meaning that surpass the literal details being recounted. They are what sets literature apart, and what makes it uniquely powerful.

Read on for an in-depth look and analysis at 112 common literary devices.

Literary Devices List: 14 Common Literary Devices

In this article, we focus on literary devices that can be found in both poetry and prose.

There are a lot of literary devices to cover, each of which require their own examples and analysis. As such, we will start by focusing on common literary devices for this article: literary devices that can be found in both poetry and prose. With each device, we’ve included examples in literature and exercises you can use in your own creative writing.

Afterwards, we’ve listed other common literary devices you might see in poetry, prose, dialogue, and rhetoric.

Let’s get started!

1. Metaphor

Metaphors, also known as direct comparisons, are one of the most common literary devices. A metaphor is a statement in which two objects, often unrelated, are compared to each other.

Example of metaphor: This tree is the god of the forest.

Obviously, the tree is not a god—it is, in fact, a tree. However, by stating that the tree is the god, the reader is given the image of something strong, large, and immovable. Additionally, using “god” to describe the tree, rather than a word like “giant” or “gargantuan,” makes the tree feel like a spiritual center of the forest.

Metaphors allow the writer to pack multiple descriptions and images into one short sentence. The metaphor has much more weight and value than a direct description. If the writer chose to describe the tree as “the large, spiritual center of the forest,” the reader won’t understand the full importance of the tree’s size and scope.

Similes, also known as indirect comparisons, are similar in construction to metaphors, but they imply a different meaning. Like metaphors, two unrelated objects are being compared to each other. Unlike a metaphor, the comparison relies on the words “like” or “as.”

Example of simile: This tree is like the god of the forest. OR: This tree acts as the god of the forest.

What is the difference between a simile and a metaphor?

The obvious difference between these two common literary devices is that a simile uses “like” or “as,” whereas a metaphor never uses these comparison words.

Additionally, in reference to the above examples, the insertion of “like” or “as” creates a degree of separation between both elements of the device. In a simile, the reader understands that, although the tree is certainly large, it isn’t large enough to be a god; the tree’s “godhood” is simply a description, not a relevant piece of information to the poem or story.

Simply put, metaphors are better to use as a central device within the poem/story, encompassing the core of what you are trying to say. Similes are better as a supporting device.

Does that mean metaphors are better than similes? Absolutely not. Consider Louise Gluck’s poem “ The Past. ” Gluck uses both a simile and a metaphor to describe the sound of the wind: it is like shadows moving, but is her mother’s voice. Both devices are equally haunting, and ending the poem on the mother’s voice tells us the central emotion of the poem.

Learn more about the difference between similes and metaphors here:

Simile vs. Metaphor vs. Analogy: Definitions and Examples

Simile and Metaphor Writing Exercise: Tenors and Vehicles

Most metaphors and similes have two parts: the tenor and the vehicle. The tenor refers to the subject being described, and the vehicle refers to the image that describes the tenor.

So, in the metaphor “the tree is a god of the forest,” the tenor is the tree and the vehicle is “god of the forest.”

To practice writing metaphors and similes, let’s create some literary device lists. grab a sheet of paper and write down two lists. In the first list, write down “concept words”—words that cannot be physically touched. Love, hate, peace, war, happiness, and anger are all concepts because they can all be described but are not physical objects in themselves.

In the second list, write down only concrete objects—trees, clouds, the moon, Jupiter, New York brownstones, uncut sapphires, etc.

Your concepts are your tenors, and your concrete objects are your vehicles. Now, randomly draw a one between each tenor and each vehicle, then write an explanation for your metaphor/simile. You might write, say:

Have fun, write interesting literary devices, and try to incorporate them into a future poem or story!

An analogy is an argumentative comparison: it compares two unalike things to advance an argument. Specifically, it argues that two things have equal weight, whether that weight be emotional, philosophical, or even literal. Because analogical literary devices operate on comparison, it can be considered a form of metaphor.

For example:

Making pasta is as easy as one, two, three.

This analogy argues that making pasta and counting upwards are equally easy things. This format, “A is as B” or “A is to B”, is a common analogy structure.

Another common structure for analogy literary devices is “A is to B as C is to D.” For example:

Gordon Ramsay is to cooking as Meryl Streep is to acting.

The above constructions work best in argumentative works. Lawyers and essayists will often use analogies. In other forms of creative writing, analogies aren’t as formulaic, but can still prove to be powerful literary devices. In fact, you probably know this one:

“That which we call a rose / By any other name would smell as sweet” — Romeo & Juliet by William Shakespeare

To put this into the modern language of an analogy, Shakespeare is saying “a rose with no name smells as a rose with a name does.” The name “rose” does not affect whether or not the flower smells good.

Analogy Writing Exercise

Analogies are some of the most common literary devices, alongside similes and metaphors. Here’s an exercise for writing one yourself.

On a blank sheet of paper: write down the first four nouns that come to mind. Try to use concrete, visual nouns. Then, write down a verb. If you struggle to come up with any of these, any old word generator on the internet will help.

The only requirement is that two of your four nouns should be able to perform the verb. A dog can swim, for example, but it can’t fly an airplane.

Your list might look like this:

Verb: Fall Nouns: Rain, dirt, pavement, shadow

An analogy you create from this list might be: “his shadow falls on the pavement how rain falls on the dirt in May.

Your analogy might end up being silly or poetic, strange or evocative. But, by forcing yourself to make connections between seemingly disparate items, you’re using these literary devices to hone the skills of effective, interesting writing.

Is imagery a literary device? Absolutely! Imagery can be both literal and figurative, and it relies on the interplay of language and sensation to create a sharper image in your brain.

Imagery is what it sounds like—the use of figurative language to describe something.

Imagery is what it sounds like—the use of figurative language to describe something. In fact, we’ve already seen imagery in action through the previous literary devices: by describing the tree as a “god”, the tree looks large and sturdy in the reader’s mind.

However, imagery doesn’t just involve visual descriptions; the best writers use imagery to appeal to all five senses. By appealing to the reader’s sense of sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell, your writing will create a vibrant world for readers to live and breathe in.

The best writers use imagery to appeal to all five senses.

Let’s use imagery to describe that same tree. (I promise I can write about more than just trees, but it’s a very convenient image for these common literary devices, don’t you think?)

Notice how these literary device examples also used metaphors and similes? Literary devices often pile on top of each other, which is why so many great works of literature can be analyzed endlessly. Because imagery depends on the object’s likeness to other objects, imagery upholds the idea that a literary device is synonymous with comparison.

Imagery Writing Exercise

Want to try your hand at imagery? You can practice this concept by describing an object in the same way that this article describes a tree! Choose something to write about—any object, image, or idea—and describe it using the five senses. (“This biscuit has the tidy roundness of a lady’s antique hat.” “The biscuit tastes of brand-new cardboard.” and so on!)

Then, once you’ve written five (or more) lines of imagery, try combining these images until your object is sharp and clear in the reader’s head.

Imagery is one of the most essential common literary devices. To learn more about imagery, or to find more imagery writing exercises, take a look at our article Imagery Definition: 5+ Types of Imagery in Literature .

5. Symbolism

Symbolism combines a lot of the ideas presented in metaphor and imagery. Essentially, a symbol is the use of an object to represent a concept—it’s kind of like a metaphor, except more concise!

Symbols are everywhere in the English language, and we often use these common literary devices in speech and design without realizing it. The following are very common examples of symbolism:

A few very commonly used symbols include:

• “Peace” represented by a white dove
• “Love” represented by a red rose
• “Conformity” represented by sheep
• “Idea” represented by a light bulb switching on

The symbols above are so widely used that they would likely show up as clichés in your own writing. (Would you read a poem, written today, that started with “Let’s release the white dove of peace”?) In that sense, they do their job “too well”—they’re such a good symbol for what they symbolize that they’ve become ubiquitous, and you’ll have to add something new in your own writing.

Symbols are often contextually specific as well. For example, a common practice in Welsh marriage is to give your significant other a lovespoon , which the man has designed and carved to signify the relationship’s unique, everlasting bond. In many Western cultures, this same bond is represented by a diamond ring—which can also be unique and everlasting!

Symbolism makes the core ideas of your writing concrete.

Finally, notice how each of these examples are a concept represented by a concrete object. Symbolism makes the core ideas of your writing concrete, and also allows you to manipulate your ideas. If a rose represents love, what does a wilted rose or a rose on fire represent?

Symbolism Writing Exercise

Often, symbols are commonly understood images—but not always. You can invent your own symbols to capture the reader’s imagination, too!

Try your hand at symbolism by writing a poem or story centered around a symbol. Choose a random object, and make that object represent something. For example, you could try to make a blanket represent the idea of loneliness.

When you’ve paired an object and a concept, write your piece with that symbol at the center:

The down blanket lay crumpled, unused, on the empty side of our bed.

The goal is to make it clear that you’re associating the object with the concept. Make the reader feel the same way about your symbol as you do!

6. Personification

Personification, giving human attributes to nonhuman objects, is a powerful way to foster empathy in your readers.

Personification is exactly what it sounds like: giving human attributes to nonhuman objects. Also known as anthropomorphism, personification is a powerful way to foster empathy in your readers.

Think about personification as if it’s a specific type of imagery. You can describe a nonhuman object through the five senses, and do so by giving it human descriptions. You can even impute thoughts and emotions—mental events—to a nonhuman or even nonliving thing. This time, we’ll give human attributes to a car—see our personification examples below!

Personification (using sight): The car ran a marathon down the highway.

Personification (using sound): The car coughed, hacked, and spluttered.

Personification (using touch): The car was smooth as a baby’s bottom.

Personification (using taste): The car tasted the bitter asphalt.

Personification (using smell): The car needed a cold shower.

Personification (using mental events): The car remembered its first owner fondly.

Notice how we don’t directly say the car is like a human—we merely describe it using human behaviors. Personification exists at a unique intersection of imagery and metaphor, making it a powerful literary device that fosters empathy and generates unique descriptions.

Personification Writing Exercise

Try writing personification yourself! In the above example, we chose a random object and personified it through the five senses. It’s your turn to do the same thing: find a concrete noun and describe it like it’s a human.

Here are two examples:

The ancient, threadbare rug was clearly tired of being stepped on.

My phone issued notifications with the grimly efficient extroversion of a sorority chapter president.

Now start writing your own! Your descriptions can be active or passive, but the goal is to foster empathy in the reader’s mind by giving the object human traits.

7. Hyperbole

You know that one friend who describes things very dramatically? They’re probably speaking in hyperboles. Hyperbole is just a dramatic word for being over-dramatic—which sounds a little hyperbolic, don’t you think?

Basically, hyperbole refers to any sort of exaggerated description or statement. We use hyperbole all the time in the English language, and you’ve probably heard someone say things like:

• I’ve been waiting a billion years for this
• I’m so hungry I could eat a horse
• I feel like a million bucks
• You are the king of the kitchen

None of these examples should be interpreted literally: there are no kings in the kitchen, and I doubt anyone can eat an entire horse in one sitting. This common literary device allows us to compare our emotions to something extreme, giving the reader a sense of how intensely we feel something in the moment.

This is what makes hyperbole so fun! Coming up with crazy, exaggerated statements that convey the intensity of the speaker’s emotions can add a personable element to your writing. After all, we all feel our emotions to a certain intensity, and hyperbole allows us to experience that intensity to its fullest.

Hyperbole Writing Exercise

To master the art of the hyperbole, try expressing your own emotions as extremely as possible. For example, if you’re feeling thirsty, don’t just write that you’re thirsty, write that you could drink the entire ocean. Or, if you’re feeling homesick, don’t write that you’re yearning for home, write that your homeland feels as far as Jupiter.

As a specific exercise, you can try writing a poem or short piece about something mundane, using more and more hyperbolic language with each line or sentence. Here’s an example:

A well-written hyperbole helps focus the reader’s attention on your emotions and allows you to play with new images, making it a fun, chaos-inducing literary device.

Is irony a literary device? Yes—but it’s often used incorrectly. People often describe something as being ironic, when really it’s just a moment of dark humor. So, the colloquial use of the word irony is a bit off from its official definition as a literary device.

Irony is when the writer describes something by using opposite language. As a real-life example, if someone is having a bad day, they might say they’re doing “ greaaaaaat ”, clearly implying that they’re actually doing quite un-greatly. Or a story’s narrator might write:

Like most bureaucrats, she felt a boundless love for her job, and was eager to share that good feeling with others.

In other words, irony highlights the difference between “what seems to be” and “what is.” In literature, irony can describe dialogue, but it also describes ironic situations : situations that proceed in ways that are elaborately contrary to what one would expect. A clear example of this is in The Wizard of Oz . All of the characters already have what they are looking for, so when they go to the wizard and discover that they all have brains, hearts, etc., their petition—making a long, dangerous journey to beg for what they already have—is deeply ironic.

Irony Writing Exercise

For verbal irony, try writing a sentence that gives something the exact opposite qualities that it actually has:

The triple bacon cheeseburger glistened with health and good choices.

For situational irony, try writing an imagined plot for a sitcom, starting with “Ben lost his car keys and can’t find them anywhere.” What would be the most ironic way for that situation to be resolved? (Are they sitting in plain view on Ben’s desk… at the detective agency he runs?) Have fun with it!

9. Juxtaposition

Juxtaposition refers to the placement of contrasting ideas next to each other, often to produce an ironic or thought-provoking effect. Writers use juxtaposition in both poetry and prose, though this common literary device looks slightly different within each realm of literature.

In poetry, juxtaposition is used to build tension or highlight an important contrast. Consider the poem “ A Juxtaposition ” by Kenneth Burke, which juxtaposes nation & individual, treble & bass, and loudness & silence. The result is a poem that, although short, condemns the paradox of a citizen trapped in their own nation.

Just a note: these juxtapositions are also examples of antithesis , which is when the writer juxtaposes two completely opposite ideas. Juxtaposition doesn’t have to be completely contrarian, but in this poem, it is.

Juxtaposition accomplishes something similar in prose. A famous example comes from the opening A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of time.” Dickens opens his novel by situating his characters into a world of contrasts, which is apt for the extreme wealth disparities pre-French Revolution.

Juxtaposition Writing Exercise

One great thing about juxtaposition is that it can dismantle something that appears to be a binary. For example, black and white are often assumed to be polar opposites, but when you put them next to each other, you’ll probably get some gray in the middle.

To really master the art of juxtaposition, try finding two things that you think are polar opposites. They can be concepts, such as good & evil, or they can be people, places, objects, etc. Juxtapose your two selected items by starting your writing with both of them—for example:

Across the town from her wedding, the bank robbers were tying up the hostages.

I put the box of chocolates on the coffee table, next to the gas mask.

Then write a poem or short story that explores a “gray area,” relationship, commonality, or resonance between these two objects or events—without stating as much directly. If you can accomplish what Dickens or Burke accomplishes with their juxtapositions, then you, too, are a master!

10. Paradox

A paradox is a juxtaposition of contrasting ideas that, while seemingly impossible, actually reveals a deeper truth. One of the trickier literary devices, paradoxes are powerful tools for deconstructing binaries and challenging the reader’s beliefs.

A simple paradox example comes to us from Ancient Rome.

Catullus 85 ( translated from Latin)

I hate and I love. Why I do this, perhaps you ask. I know not, but I feel it happening and I am tortured.

Often, “hate” and “love” are assumed to be opposing forces. How is it possible for the speaker to both hate and love the object of his affection? The poem doesn’t answer this, merely telling us that the speaker is “tortured,” but the fact that these binary forces coexist in the speaker is a powerful paradox. Catullus 85 asks the reader to consider the absoluteness of feelings like hate and love, since both seem to torment the speaker equally.

Another paradox example comes from Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest.

“To be natural is such a very difficult pose to keep up.”

Here, “natural” and “pose” are conflicting ideas. Someone who poses assumes an unnatural state of being, whereas a natural poise seems effortless and innate. Despite these contrasting ideas, Wilde is exposing a deeper truth: to seem natural is often to keep up appearances, and seeming natural often requires the same work as assuming any other pose.

Note: paradox should not be confused with oxymoron. An oxymoron is also a statement with contrasting ideas, but a paradox is assumed to be true, whereas an oxymoron is merely a play on words (like the phrase “same difference”).

Paradox Writing Exercise

Paradox operates very similarly to literary devices like juxtaposition and irony. To write a paradox, juxtapose two binary ideas. Try to think outside of the box here: “hate and love” are an easy binary to conjure, so think about something more situational. Wilde’s paradox “natural and pose” is a great one; another idea could be the binaries “awkward and graceful” or “red-handed and innocent.”

Now, situate those binaries into a certain situation, and make it so that they can coexist. Imagine a scenario in which both elements of your binary are true at the same time. How can this be, and what can we learn from this surprising juxtaposition?

11. Allusion

If you haven’t noticed, literary devices are often just fancy words for simple concepts. A metaphor is literally a comparison and hyperbole is just an over-exaggeration. In this same style, allusion is just a fancy word for a literary reference; when a writer alludes to something, they are either directly or indirectly referring to another, commonly-known piece of art or literature.

The most frequently-alluded to work is probably the Bible. Many colloquial phrases and ideas stem from it, since many themes and images from the Bible present themselves in popular works, as well as throughout Western culture. Any of the following ideas, for example, are Biblical allusions:

• Referring to a kind stranger as a Good Samaritan
• Describing an ideal place as Edenic, or the Garden of Eden
• Saying someone “turned the other cheek” when they were passive in the face of adversity
• When something is described as lasting “40 days and 40 nights,” in reference to the flood of Noah’s Ark

Of course, allusion literary devices aren’t just Biblical. You might describe a woman as being as beautiful as the Mona Lisa, or you might call a man as stoic as Hemingway.

Why write allusions? Allusions appeal to common experiences: they are metaphors in their own right, as we understand what it means to describe an ideal place as Edenic.

Like the other common literary devices, allusions are often metaphors, images, and/or hyperboles. And, like other literary devices, allusions also have their own sub-categories.

Allusion Writing Exercise

See how densely you can allude to other works and experiences in writing about something simple. Go completely outside of good taste and name-drop like crazy:

Allusions (way too much version): I wanted Nikes, not Adidas, because I want to be like Mike. But still, “a rose by any other name”—they’re just shoes, and “if the shoe fits, wear it.”

From this frenetic style of writing, trim back to something more tasteful:

Allusions (more tasteful version): I had wanted Nikes, not Adidas—but “if the shoe fits, wear it.”

12. Allegory

An allegory is a story whose sole purpose is to represent an abstract concept or idea. As such, allegories are sometimes extended allusions, but the two common literary devices have their differences.

For example, George Orwell’s Animal Farm is an allegory for the deterioration of Communism during the early establishment of the U.S.S.R. The farm was founded on a shared goal of overthrowing the farming elite and establishing an equitable society, but this society soon declines. Animal Farm mirrors the Bolshevik Revolution, the overthrow of the Russian aristocracy, Lenin’s death, Stalin’s execution of Trotsky, and the nation’s dissolution into an amoral, authoritarian police state. Thus, Animal Farm is an allegory/allusion to the U.S.S.R.:

Allusion (excerpt from Animal Farm ):

“There were times when it seemed to the animals that they worked longer hours and fed no better than they had done in [Farmer] Jones’s day.”

However, allegories are not always allusions. Consider Plato’s “ Allegory of the Cave ,” which represents the idea of enlightenment. By representing a complex idea, this allegory could actually be closer to an extended symbol rather than an extended allusion.

Allegory Writing Exercise

Pick a major trend going on in the world. In this example, let’s pick the growing reach of social media as our “major trend.”

Next, what are the primary properties of that major trend? Try to list them out:

• More connectedness
• A loss of privacy
• People carefully massaging their image and sharing that image widely

Next, is there something happening at—or that could happen at—a much smaller scale that has some or all of those primary properties? This is where your creativity comes into play.

Well… what if elementary school children not only started sharing their private diaries, but were now expected to share their diaries? Let’s try writing from inside that reality:

I know Jennifer McMahon made up her diary entry about how much she misses her grandma. The tear smudges were way too neat and perfect. Anyway, everyone loved it. They photocopied it all over the bulletin boards and they even read it over the PA, and Jennifer got two extra brownies at lunch.

Try your own! You may find that you’ve just written your own Black Mirror episode.

13. Ekphrasis

Ekphrasis refers to a poem or story that is directly inspired by another piece of art. Ekphrastic literature often describes another piece of art, such as the classic “ Ode on a Grecian Urn ”:

O Attic shape! Fair attitude! with brede Of marble men and maidens overwrought, With forest branches and the trodden weed; Thou, silent form, dost tease us out of thought As doth eternity: Cold Pastoral! When old age shall this generation waste, Thou shalt remain, in midst of other woe Than ours, a friend to man, to whom thou say’st, “Beauty is truth, truth beauty,—that is all Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.”

Ekphrasis can be considered a direct allusion because it borrows language and images from other artwork. For a great example of ekphrasis—as well as a submission opportunity for writers!—check out the monthly ekphrastic challenge that Rattle Poetry runs.

Ekphrasis writing exercise

Try your hand at ekphrasis by picking a piece of art you really enjoy and writing a poem or story based off of it. For example, you could write a story about Mona Lisa having a really bad day, or you could write a black-out poem created from the lyrics of your favorite song.

Or, try Rattle ‘s monthly ekphrastic challenge ! All art inspires other art, and by letting ekphrasis guide your next poem or story, you’re directly participating in a greater artistic and literary conversation.

14. Onomatopoeia

Flash! Bang! Wham! An onomatopoeia is a word that sounds like the noise it describes. Conveying both a playfulness of language and a serious representation of everyday sounds, onomatopoeias draw the reader into the sensations of the story itself.

Onomatopoeia words are most often used in poetry and in comic books, though they certainly show up in works of prose as well. Some onomatopoeias can be found in the dictionary, such as “murmur,” “gargle,” and “rumble,” “click,” and “vroom.” However, writers make up onomatopoeia words all the time, so while the word “ptoo” definitely sounds like a person spitting, you won’t find it in Merriam Webster’s.

Here’s an onomatopoeia example, from the poem “Honky Tonk in Cleveland, Ohio” by Carl Sandburg .

The onomatopoeias have been highlighted in bold. These common literary devices help make your writing fresh, interesting, and vivid, creating a sonic setting that the reader can fall into.

Learn more about onomatopoeias here!

Onomatopoeia Writing Exercise

Onomatopoeias are fun literary devices to use in your work, so have fun experimenting with them. In this exercise, take a moment to listen to the noises around you. Pay close attention to the whir of electronics, the fzzzzzzz of the heater, the rumbling of cars on the street, or the tintintintintin of rain on the roof.

Whatever you hear, convert those sounds into onomatopoeias. Make a list of those sounds. Try to use a mix of real words and made up ones: the way you represent noise in language can have a huge impact on your writing style .

Do this for 5 to 10 minutes, and when you have a comprehensive list of the sounds you hear, write a poem or short story that uses every single word you’ve written down.

If you built your political campaign off of wordplay, would you be punning for president?

A pun is a literary device that plays with the sounds and meanings of words to produce new, often humorous ideas. For example, let’s say you used too much butter in your recipe, and it ruined the dish. You might joke that you were “outside the margarine of error,” which is a play on the words “margin of error.”

Puns have a rich literary history, and famous writers like Shakespeare and Charles Dickens, as well as famous texts like The Bible, have used puns to add depth and gravity to their words.

Pun Writing Exercise

Jot down a word or phrase that you commonly use. If you’re not sure of what to write down, take a look at this list of English idioms . For example, I might borrow the phrase “blow off steam,” which means to let out your anger.

Take any saying, and play around with the sounds and meanings of the words in that saying. Then, incorporate the new phrase you’ve created into a sentence that allows for the double meaning of the phrase. Here’s two examples:

If I play with the sound of the words, I might come up with “blowing off stream.” Then, I would put that into a sentence that plays with the original meaning of the phrase. Like: “Did you hear about the river boat that got angry and went off course? It was blowing off stream.”

Or, I might play with the meanings of words. For example, I might take the word “blowing” literally, and write the following: “someone who cools down their tea when they’re angry is blowing off steam.”

Searching for ways to add double meanings and challenge the sounds of language will help you build fresh, exciting puns. Learn more about these common literary devices in our article on puns in literature .

16–27. Common Literary Devices in Poetry

The following 12 devices apply to both poetry and prose writers, but they appear most often in verse. Learn more about:

• Metonymy/Synecdoche
• Alliteration
• Consonance/Assonance
• Euphony/Cacophony

12 Literary Devices in Poetry: Identifying Poetic Devices

28–37. Common Literary Devices in Prose

The following 10 devices show up in verse, but are far more prevalent in prose. Learn more about:

• Parallel Plot
• Foreshadowing
• In Media Res
• Dramatic Irony

10 Important Literary Devices in Prose: Examples & Analysis

38–48. Repetition Literary Devices

Though they have uncommon names, these common literary devices are all forms of repetition.

• Anadiplosis
• Anaphora (prose)
• Antanaclasis
• Antimetabole
• Antistrophe
• Epanalepsis

Repetition Definition: Types of Repetition in Poetry and Prose

49–57. Dialogue Literary Devices

While these literary elements pertain primarily to dialogue, writers use euphemisms, idioms, and neologisms all the time in their work.

• Colloquialism

How to Write Dialogue in a Story

58–67. Word Play Literary Devices

The following literary devices push language to the limits. Have fun with these!

• Double Entendre
• Malapropism
• Paraprosdokian
• Portmanteau

Word Play: Examples of a Play on Words

68–72. Parallelism Literary Devices

Parallelism is a stylistic device where a sentence is composed of equally weighted items. In essence, parallel structure allows form to echo content. Learn all about this essential stylistic literary device below.

• Grammatical parallelism
• Rhetorical parallelism
• Synthetic parallelism
• Antithetical parallelism
• Synonymous parallelism

Parallelism Definition: Writing With Parallel Structure

73–112. Rhetorical Devices

Rhetorical devices are literary devices intended to persuade the reader of something. You might have heard of ethos, pathos, and logos, but do you know your aposiopesis from your hyperbaton?

Many literary devices can also be considered rhetorical devices. After all, a metaphor can convince you of something just as well as a syllogism. Nonetheless, the following 40 rhetorical/literary devices will sharpen your style, argumentation, and writing abilities.

• Anacoluthon
• Polysyndeton
• Procatalepsis
• Reductio ad Absurdum
• Amplification
• Antiphrasis
• Overstatement
• Adnomination
• Aposiopesis
• Circumlocution

Common Rhetorical Devices List: The Art of Argument

Master These Common Literary Devices With Writers.com!

The instructors at Writers.com are masters of literary devices. Through masterful instruction and personal expertise, our instructors can help you add, refine, and improve your literary devices, helping you craft great works of literature. Check out our upcoming courses , and join our writing community on Facebook !

Sean Glatch

96 comments.

Very nice the litrery divices

Brilliant litery devices

Love this article thank you

My stoonts confess to having trouble with “poultry”.

I love this literary term it help a lot

thank you this was life-changing

Broaden the vucablry it does

Very effectively and simply elaborated

I am trying think of the specific literary structure based on loosely assembled episodes set within the framework of a journey: it is not quixotic, peripatetic, itinerant…always on the tip of my tongue. Help!

enjoyed this (and learned some new things, too). HB

Wow, very educating and nice! Quite helpful

It is very nice visiting this site.

This was put together profoundly; thank you! As a writer, you can never learn enough. I will begin incorporating these into my stories. Words can’t express how helpful this was, and it was very efficiently put together as well, so kudos to that!

I’m so happy this article helped you, Jalen! Happy writing!

Thank you for this article! It really helped a lot! hands up to the good samaritan of understanding literature :D.

But I would have one last question: Would any sort of intertextuality be considered an Allusion? (Also when you refer to the author for example?)

Great questions! That’s a great way to think about allusion–any sort of intertextuality is indeed allusive. In fact, your use of “Good Samaritan” is an allusion to the Bible, even if you didn’t mean it to be!

And yes, because an allusion is anything referential, then a reference to another author also counts as an allusion. Of course, it can’t be directly stated: “She’s reading Shakespeare” doesn’t count, but “She worships the Immortal Bard” would be an allusion. (It’s also an allusion to the story of the same name by Isaac Asimov).

I’m glad to hear our article was helpful. Happy reading!

This will help! Thanks!

There is also Onomatopoeia, you can make the list 45

This article really helped me, the techniques are amazing, and the detail is incredible. Thank you for taking your time to write this!

I’m so glad this was helpful, Gwen! Happy writing!

this was useful 🙂 thanks

I love personification; you can do so much with it.

Hi, I’m really sorry but I am still confused with juxtaposition.

Hi Nate! Juxtaposition simply describes when contrasting ideas are placed next to each other. The effect of juxtaposition depends on the ideas that are being juxtaposed, but the point is to surprise or provoke the reader.

Take, for example, the opening line of Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy: “Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.”

Here, happy and unhappy families are being juxtaposed, and the contrast between the two is meant to provoke the reader and highlight the differences between those families. This juxtaposition sets up the novel as a whole, which often discusses themes of family and happiness (among many other themes).

I hope this helps!

very nice indeed

[…] 33 Common Literary Devices: Definitions, Examples, and Exercises […]

[…] 44 Common Literary Devices: Definitions, Examples, and Exercises […]

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Really helping. It’s a wonderful article

O mother Ghana, teach your children to change their negative attitudes towards you and what you have Please which literary device is this?

The device employed here is called apostrophe, which is when the writer addresses something not actually present for literary effect. Read more about it at this link .

This was very effective towards my writing and my family really enoyed seeing how much I had learnt. Thanks a lot.

so irony is literally sarcasm then

Sometimes! Sarcasm is a form of verbal irony.

Verbal irony occurs when a person intentionally says the opposite of what they mean. For example, you might say “I’m having the best day ever” after getting hit by a car.

Sarcasm is the use of verbal irony with the intent of mocking someone or something. You might say “Good going, genius” to someone who made a silly mistake, implying they’re not a genius at all.

Hope that makes sense!

Love this article! I used to struggle in my literature class, but after reading though this article, I certainly improved! Thanks! However, I have one question I really need your help with- Can I assume that a phrase which is the slightest bit plausible, a hyperbole? For example, a young elementary student who is exceptionally talented in basketball, to such an extent that he was quite famous nation-wide, said that he would be the next Lebron James although he was still very young. Would this be considered as a hyperbole? It would be great if you can help me with this.

That’s a great question! Although that claim is certainly exaggerated, it probably wouldn’t be hyperbole, because the child believes it to be true. A hyperbole occurs when the writer makes an exaggerated statement that they know to be false–e.g. “I’ve been waiting a billion years for this.”

Of course, if the child is self-aware and knows they’re just being cheeky, then it would be hyperbole, but I get the sense that the child genuinely believes they’re the next Lebron. 🙂

I’m glad this article has helped you in your literature class!

That makes a lot of sense, thanks for your reply!

Sorry, I have another question related to hyperbole. This is an extract from Animal Farm:

“Squealer was sent to make the necessary explanation to the others. ‘Comrades!’ he cried. ‘You do not imagine, I hope, that we pigs are doing this in a spirit of selfishness and privilege? Many of us actually dislike milk and apples. I dislike them myself. Our sole object in taking these things is to preserve our health. Milk and apples (this has been proved by Science, comrades) contain substances absolutely necessary to the well being of a pig. We pigs are brain-workers. The whole management and organisation of this farm depend on us. Day and night we are watching over your welfare. It is for your sake that we drink that milk and eat those apples. Do you know what would happen if we pigs failed in our duty? Jones would come back! Yes, Jones would come back! Surely, comrades,’ cried Squealer almost pleadingly, skipping from side to side and whisking his tail, ‘surely there is no one among you who wants to see Jones come back?’ Now if there was one thing that the animals were completely certain of, it was that they did not want Jones back. When it was put to them in this light, they had no more to say. The importance of keeping the pigs in good health was all too obvious.”

May I know if the speech made by Squealer in this extract is a hyperbole, gaslight (I’m not sure if this is a literary device), or some other device(s)? I know this is very wordy so you can take your time, no rush.

(I am doing a chapter analysis of chapter 3 in Animal Farm)

By the way, if you have written any other articles, please let me know! I would like to read them, thanks!

Take a look at writers.com/writing-tips for our archive on the craft of writing!

It wouldn’t be hyperbole, as a hyperbole is usually a word or phrase, not an entire passage of text. It’s better to analyze this passage in terms of its rhetorical strategies: Squealer is appealing to nebulous ideas like Science and the return of Jones–appeals to logos and pathos, despite there being a lack of evidence.

These strategies are logical fallacies: arguments that are easily disproven through reasoning, but which often resonate when people don’t employ critical thinking. Some of the fallacies here are “appeal to fear” and the “false dilemma” that Jones will return if the pigs don’t eat apples and milk (this is also a “red herring”).

I can’t provide much more help than this, as I don’t want to write your assignment for you, but I’m happy to point you in this direction, because understanding how logical fallacies are abused is essential to being an informed reader and citizen. 🙂

Ok, thanks for your reply!

Thank you! I am studying for an English final and this was a life saver!

My pleasure, Isla, good luck on your final!

I have a literature exam coming up,so this was much needed.Thank you!

Indeed this has been of great help to me.

I am so greatful of this website it really helps me a lot about myself and my family

This is awesome

This website is very useful to understand litery devices…

thanks it was helpful

Hi what is the name of the literary device where you name a character after their personality eg. Mr Knighley, Miss honey or Miss Trunchball? Thank you

That’s called an “aptronym”!

Mind blowing indeed. I had no idea there were so many names for patterns I hear people use with words. This lis is great as is. I am using it to probe further into what they are. I would only suggest that if the time ever allowed for someone to provide a brief detail or definition to each it would save a lot of time for many like me. None the less, I am grateful for the work provided. Thank you.

It awesome and amazing

It is personification as well as apostrophe, as Sean suggested. Ghana (the nation, I am assuming) is personified as a mother who is able to teach her citizens (children) to change their negative attitudes towards her.

Helped alot😊

This has truly helped me alot. Definitely great

Thanks so much, I never knew the list to this was as tall as everest, way back in school I didn’t take lit lessons serious and forgot everything til it came to mind to revise these devices And here google landed me, and thanks again so much.

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The litrarery device is the best way to get a knowledge in education

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Can Dystopia be considered a kind of literary device?

Thank you so much for this! It helped me get ready for my English exam.

Best of luck on your exam, Olive!

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[…] 112 Common Literary Devices: Definitions, Examples, and Exercises […]

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Using Literary Quotations

Use the guidelines below to learn how to use literary quotations.

Download this Handout PDF

Introduction

When you’re asked to write a paper analyzing a work of literature, your instructor probably expects you to incorporate quotations from that literary text into your analysis. But how do you do this well? What kind of quotations do you use? How do you seamlessly weave together your ideas with someone else’s words?

On this page we clarify the purpose of using literary quotations in literary analysis papers by exploring why quotations are important to use in your writing and then explaining how to do this. We provide general guidelines and specific suggestions about blending your prose and quoted material as well as information about formatting logistics and various rules for handling outside text.

Although this material is focused on integrating your ideas with quotations from novels, poems, and plays into literary analysis papers, in some genres this advice is equally applicable to incorporating quotations from scholarly essays, reports, or even original research into your work.

For further information, check out our Quoting and Paraphrasing resource, or you may wish to see when the Writing Center is offering its next introductory workshop about the genre of literary analysis. Additionally, our Short Guide to Close Reading for Literary Analysis offers wonderful insight into how you can read a piece of literature in order to analyze it.

Why should I use literary quotations?

Within a literary analysis, your purpose is to develop an argument about what the author of the text is doing—how the text “works.” You use quotations to support this argument. This involves selecting, presenting, and discussing material from the text in order to “prove” your point—to make your case—in much the same way a lawyer brings evidence before a jury.

Quoting for any other purpose is counterproductive. Don’t quote to “tell the story” or otherwise convey basic information about the text; most of the time within this genre you can assume your reader knows the text. And don’t quote just for the sake of quoting or to fill up space.

How do I use literary quotations?

General guidelines.

The following paragraph is from a student’s analysis of the relationship between two characters in Woolf’s To the Lighthouse . Notice how statements expressing the writer’s ideas and observations are verified with evidence from the novel in both summarized and quoted form.

We learn about Mrs. Ramsey’s personality by observing her feelings about other characters. For example, Mrs. Ramsey has mixed feelings toward Mr. Tansley, but her feelings seem to grow more positive over time as she comes to know him better. At first Mrs. Ramsey finds Mr. Tansley annoying, as shown especially when he mentions that no one is going to the lighthouse (7). But rather than hating him, she feels pity: “she pitied men always as if they lacked something . . .” (85). Then later, during the gathering, pity turns to empathy as she realizes that Mr. Tansley must feel inferior. He must know, Mrs. Ramsey thinks, that “no woman would look at him with Paul Rayley in the room” (104). Finally, by the end of the dinner scene, she feels some attraction to Mr. Tansley and also a new respect: “She liked his laugh . . . She liked his awkwardness. There was a lot in that man after all” (110). In observing this evolution in her attitude, we learn more about Mrs. Ramsey than we do about Mr. Tansley. The change in Mrs. Ramsey’s attitude is not used by Woolf to show that Mrs. Ramsey is fickle or confused; rather it is used to show her capacity for understanding both the frailty and complexity of human beings. This is a central characteristic of Mrs. Ramsey’s personality.

Your ideas + textual evidence + discussion

Notice that this paragraph includes three basic kinds of materials: (a) statements expressing the student’s own ideas about the relationship Woolf is creating; (b) data or evidence from the text in summarized, paraphrased, and quoted form; and (c) discussion of how the data support the writer’s interpretation. All the quotations are used in accordance with the writer’s purpose, i.e., to show how the development of Mrs. Ramsey’s feelings indicates something about her personality.

Textual evidence options

Quoting is only one of several ways to present textual material as evidence. You can also refer to textual data, summarize, and paraphrase. You will often want merely to refer or point to passages (as in the third sentence in the above example paragraph) that contribute to your argument. In other cases, you will want to paraphrase, i.e., “translate” the original into your own words, again instead of quoting. Summarize or paraphrase when it is not so much the language of the text that justifies your position, but the substance or content.

Quoting selectively

Similarly, after you have decided that you want to quote material, quote only the portions of the text specifically relevant to your point . Think of the text in terms of units—words, phrases, sentences, and groups of sentences (paragraphs, stanzas)—and use only the units you need. If it is particular words or phrases that “prove” your point, you do not need to quote the full sentences they appear in; rather, incorporate the words and phrases into your own sentences that focus on your own ideas.

Blending your prose and quoted material

It is permissible to quote an entire sentence (between two sentences of your own), but in general you should avoid this method of bringing textual material into your discussion. Instead, use one of the following patterns:

An introducing phrase or orienter plus the quotation:

• In Blake’s poem “The Tyger,” it is creation, not a hypothetical creator, that is supremely awesome. [ argument sentence ]. The speaker asks, “What immortal hand or eye / Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?” [ data sentence; orienter before quote ]
• Gatsby is not to be regarded as a personal failure. [ argument sentence ] “Gatsby turned out all right at the end” (2), according to Nick. [ data sentence; orienter after quote ]
• “Our baby was a boy,” Shukumar tells his wife in the conclusion of Lahiri’s “A Temporary Matter” (22). [ data sentence; orienter after quote ] This admission is a death knell, tolling the end of their failing marriage. [ argument sentence ]

An assertion of your own and a colon plus the quotation:

• In the midst of discussing the fate of the Abame tribe, Uchendu presents his own theory: “There is no story that is not true” (141).
• Fitzgerald gives Nick a muted tribute to the hero: “Gatsby turned out all right at the end” (2).
• Within Othello , Cassio represents not only a political but also a personal threat to Iago: “He hath a daily beauty in his life / That makes me ugly . . .” (5.1.19-20).

An assertion of your own with quoted material worked in:

• For Nick, who remarks that Gatsby “turned out all right” (2), the hero deserves respect but perhaps does not inspire great admiration.
• Satan’s motion is many things; he “strides” through the air (55), arrives like a “rattling” cloud (56), and later explodes—“wandering,” “hovering and blazing” like a fire (270).
• Walking through Geraldine’s house, Pecola “wanted to see everything slowly, slowly” in order to fully appreciate its comparative order and opulence (Morrison 89).

Maintaining clarity and readability

Introduce a quotation either by indicating what it is intended to show, by naming its source, or by doing both. For non-narrative poetry, it’s customary to attribute quotations to “the speaker”; for a story with a narrator, to “the narrator.” For plays, novels, and other works with characters, identify characters as you quote them.

Do not use two quotations in a row without intervening text of your own. You should always be contextualizing all of your outside material with your own ideas, and if you let quotes build up without a break, readers will lose track of your argument.

Using the correct verb tense is a tricky issue. It’s customary in literary analysis to use the present tense; this is because it is at the present time that you (and your reader) are looking at the text. But events in a narrative or drama take place in a time sequence. You will often need to use a past tense to refer to events that took place before the moment you are presently discussing. Consider this example:

When he hears Cordelia’s answer, King Lear seems surprised, but not dumbfounded. He advises her to “mend [her] speech a little.” He had expected her to praise him the most; but compared to her sisters’, her remarks seem almost insulting (1.1.95).

Formatting logistics and guidelines

If for the sake of brevity you wish to omit material from a quoted passage, use ellipsis points (three spaced periods) to indicate the omission. Notice how in the paragraph about To the Lighthouse , above, the writer quoted only those portions of the original sentences that related to the point of the analysis.

When quoting, you may alter grammatical forms such as the tense of a verb or the person of a pronoun so that the quotation conforms grammatically to your own prose; indicate these alterations by placing square brackets around the changed form. In the quotation about King Lear at the end of the previous section, “her” replaces the “your” of the original so that the quote fits the point of view of the paper (third person).

Reproduce the spelling, capitalization, and internal punctuation of the original exactly. Of the following sentences presenting D. H. Lawrence’s maxim, “Books are not life,” the first is not acceptable in some style systems.

• For Lawrence, “books are not life.” [ UNACCEPTABLE ]
• For Lawrence, “[b]ooks are not life.” [ acceptable but awkward ]
• Lawrence wrote, “Books are not life.” [ acceptable ]
• “Books,” Lawrence wrote, “are not life.” [ acceptable ]
• For Lawrence, books “are not life.” [ acceptable ]

Punctuation

You may alter the closing punctuation of a quotation in order to incorporate it into a sentence of your own. For example:

• “Books are not life,” Lawrence emphasized.

Commas and periods go inside the closing quotation marks; the other punctuation marks go outside. For example:

• Lawrence insisted that books “are not life”; however, he wrote exultantly about the power of the novel.
• Why does Lawrence need to point out that “Books are not life”?

When quoting lines of poetry up to three lines long (which are not indented), separate one line of poetry from another with a slash mark with a space on either side (see examples from Blake’s “The Tyger” and Shakespeare’s Othello above).

Indentation

Prose or verse quotations less than four lines long are not indented. For quotations of this length, use the patterns described above.

“Longer” quotations should be formatted according to the expectations of a block quote. This unit of text should be positioned one half inch from the left margin, and opening and closing quotation marks are not used. The MLA Handbook , 8 th edition (2016) recommends that indented quotations be double-spaced, but many instructors prefer them single-spaced. The meaning of “longer” varies slightly from one style system to another, but a general rule is to indent quotations that are more than two (or three) lines of verse or four lines of prose.

If you’re quoting a series of dialogue dialogue between characters in a play, indent these lines and place the speaker’s name before the speech quoted. For example:

• CAESAR: Et tu, Brute! Then, fall, Caesar! CINNA: Liberty! Freedom! Tyranny is dead! (3.1.77-78)

Documentation

Follow your course instructor’s guidelines for documenting sources. If your instructor hasn’t told you which system to use to document sources, ask.

The documentation style used in this handout is that presented in the MLA Handbook , 8 th edition (2016), the most common citation style for literary analysis papers. The Writing Center has information about the rules of documentation within the most common systems .

Works Cited

Achebe, Chinau. Things Fall Apart . 1959. Anchor Books, 1994.

Blake, William. “The Tyger.” Poets.org , American Academy of Poets, https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/tyger. Accessed 1 July 2018.

Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby . 1925. The Scribner Library, 1953.

Lahiri, Jhumpa. “A Temporary Matter.” Interpreter of Maladies , Mariner Books, 1999, pp. 1-22.

Lawrence, David Herbert. “Why the Novel Matters.” Study of Thomas Hardy and Other Essays , edited by Bruce Steele, Cambridge University Press, 1985, pp. 191-8.

Milton, John. Paradise Lost . Printed for John Bumpus, 1821. Google Books , https://books.google.com/books?id=pO4MAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false. Accessed 1 July 2018.

Morrison, Toni. The Bluest Eye . 1970. Plume, 1993.

Shakespeare, William. Julius Caesar. The Complete Works of William Shakespeare. Wordsworth Editions, pp. 582-610.

–. King Lear. The Complete Works of William Shakespeare . Wordsworth Editions, pp. 885-923.

–. Othello, the Moor of Venice. The Complete Works of William Shakespeare . Wordsworth Editions, pp. 818-57.

Woolf, Virginia. To the Lighthouse . 1927. Harcourt, 1981.

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Definition of Paraphrase

Often when we hear news stories and watch television shows, we want to tell our families, friends, and colleagues about what, how, and why something happened. In fact, we recount the story, its main characters, and events in our own words. This technique is called paraphrasing, which is to express an idea or somebody’s message in our own words, by maintaining the meaning of the original material. Paraphrase is a Greek word, paraphrasis , which means “to tell in other words.” Simply, it is to restate a statement in different words than the original text, while keeping the meaning and sense of the original source the same.

Paraphrase and Summary

Both summarizing and paraphrasing use similar actions by involving almost the same processes. However, their objectives are different. Summary aims at condensing the original source into a shorter form. Paraphrase has no concern with length, but is a rewording or restating or the original source in different words, keeping the length or word count almost the same.

Examples of Paraphrase in Literature

Example #1: romeo & juliet (by robert burns).

“But soft, what light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun. Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon, Who is already sick and pale with grief, That thou, her maid, art far more fair than she … The brightness of her cheek would shame those stars As daylight doth a lamp; her eye in heaven Would through the airy region stream so bright That birds would sing and think it were not night.”

Paraphrase : But please wait and see the light from that window. It is the east, and my love Juliet is the sun. Come up beautiful sun, kill the jealous moon that is already sick and pale due to grief, as Juliet is more beautiful than the moon … The brightness of Juliet’s cheeks would surpass the brightness of stars, like the sun’s light outshines the light of a lamp. If her eyes were in the sky, they would be so bright through the spaces that birds might start singing, considering it was day light.

Example #2: The Sun Rising (By John Donne)

“Busy old fool, unruly sun, Why dost thou thus, Through windows and through curtains call on us?… Shine here to us, and thou art everywhere; This bed thy center is, these walls, thy sphere.”

Paraphrase : You nosy old stupid busybody! The sun, you obey no normal rules –  why are you waking us up like this, interfering with our personal life by entering through the windows and curtains? … Go ahead and shine on us – while doing so you will shine everywhere. This bed is the center of the entire universe, around which you revolve, and the walls of our room are like a sphere, which holds you in the heavens.

Example #3: Pride & Prejudice (By Jane Austen)

“It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.”

Paraphrase : Everyone agrees on this point, that a prosperous man needs to have a wife.

Example #4: Macbeth (By William Shakespeare)

“Whence is that knocking?— How is’t with me, when every noise appals me? What hands are here! Ha, they pluck out mine eyes. Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood Clean from my hand? No, this my hand will rather The multitudinous seas incarnadine, Making the green one red.”

Paraphrase : Where is this knocking coming from? Why does every noise frighten me? Whose hands are these plucking out my eyes? Will the ocean’s water wash the blood from my hands? No, instead these hands will change the color of the water from green to red.

Function of Paraphrase

The paraphrasing technique allows writers to change the original text, so that it does not look the same, yet without changing its meaning. Effective paraphrasing could help avoid the risk of plagiarism. There are many functions of this literary technique; first, it helps the readers to understand what they have read, especially when the syntax and diction of a writer look foreign and complex to the reader. Secondly, it could direct the attention of the reader toward the tone of the text and its significant details. Finally, since it clears up the meaning of the text, it helps readers to generate different questions from the paraphrasing text, such as when, what, and why something occurred.

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9.6: Quotation, Paraphrase, and Summary

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• Page ID 101154

• Heather Ringo & Athena Kashyap
• City College of San Francisco via ASCCC Open Educational Resources Initiative

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Using Information From Sources

There are several ways to effectively incorporate information from sources in essays. Which type of source integration you use will depend on the purpose of the material. Every literary essay should strike a balance between quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing—and articulating your own perspective. Whether summarizing, paraphrasing, or quoting, you need to include both in-text and Works Cited citations for every source. It is also very important to not pass off quotation as paraphrase: this could be considered plagiarism.

Summarizing refers to the action of boiling down an author’s ideas into a shorter version in your own words. Summary demonstrates your understanding of a text, but it also can be useful in giving background information or making a complex idea more accessible. In a literature essay, you might briefly summarize the plot of a text through the perspective of your topic before diving deeply into the analysis portion of the essay.

When we paraphrase, we are processing information or ideas from another person’s text and putting it in our own words. The main difference between paraphrase and summary is scope: if summarizing means rewording and condensing, then paraphrasing means rewording without drastically altering length. However, paraphrasing is also generally more faithful to the spirit of the original; whereas a summary requires you to process and invites your own perspective, a paraphrase ought to mirror back the original idea using your own language. Paraphrasing is helpful for establishing background knowledge or general consensus, simplifying a complicated idea, or reminding your reader of a certain part of another text. It is also valuable when relaying statistics or historical information, both of which are usually more fluidly woven into your writing when spoken with your own voice.

A direct quote uses quotation marks (“ ”) to indicate where you’re borrowing an author’s words verbatim in your own writing. Use a direct quote if someone else wrote or said something in a distinctive or particular way and you want to capture their words exactly. Direct quotes are good for establishing ethos and providing evidence. In a research essay, you will be expected to use some direct quotes; however, too many direct quotes can overwhelm your thesis and actually undermine your sense of ethos.

For literature, quotation is most effective when attempting to analyze literary devices such as tone, character, metaphor, and so forth.

Below, you can see three examples of these tools. Consider how the direct quote, the paraphrase, and the summary each could be used to achieve different purposes.

Original Passage

It has been suggested (again rather anecdotally) that giraffes do communicate using infrasonic vocalizations (the signals are verbally described to be similar—in structure and function—to the low-frequency, infrasonic “rumbles” of elephants). It was further speculated that the extensive frontal sinus of giraffes acts as a resonance chamber for infrasound production. Moreover, particular neck movements (e.g. the neck stretch) are suggested to be associated with the production of infrasonic vocalizations.

Baotic et al. conducted a study on giraffe hums in response to speculation that these noises are used deliberately for communication.

Giraffes emit a low-pitch noise; some scientists believe that this hum can be used for communication with other members of the social group, but others are skeptical because of the dearth of research on giraffe noises. According to Baotic et al., the anatomy of the animal suggests that they may be making deliberate and specific noises (3).

Some zoological experts have pointed out that the evidence for giraffe hums has been “rather anecdotally” reported (Baotic et al. 3). However, some scientists have “speculated that the extensive frontal sinus of giraffes acts as a resonance chamber for infrasound production” (Ibid. 3).

Important Reminder!

Whether summary, paraphrase, or quotation, you need to use an in-text citation! For every in-text citation, ensure there is a matching entry on the Works Cited page! Also, remember to use information from sources only to support your own argument. For a research essay, a healthy ratio is generally no more than 10% to 20% material from sources to 80% your own original ideas, argument, interpretation, analysis, and explanation. This is not a rule as much as a reminder to think critically about how much your writing relies on the ideas of others: unless the assignment is a summary or literature review, the emphasis should be on your ideas!

Contributors and Attributions

• Adapted from "Research and Argumentation" EmpoWord: A Student-Centered Anthology & Handbook for College Writers b y Shane Abrams of the Portland State University, 2018 CC BY-NC 4.0

Keeping Quiet – Explanation, Literary Devices and Solved Questions ( Class 12 Flamingo English| JK BOSE

Table of Contents

Keeping Quiet – Summary

Pablo Neruda emphasizes the unique and as well as universal impact of having a sense of togetherness along with the need for introspection for mutual understanding. In this respect, he believes to bring total inactivity amongst all the people. They may realise some strangeness and enjoy the exotic moments in their lives. So he urges people of all languages to stop speaking and the fishermen are asked to stop harming the whales. Those who advocate deadly weapons to destruct the humanity have been requested to stop and save humanity. He says that we should not confuse his theory with total inactivity. Life will go on moving as it is to move. There is no change in the laws of nature.

There can be no agreement with the death but sadness may trouble us. It is very much essential for us that we must understand ourselves because there can be life under apparent stillness and there is life beyond it. Nature teaches us that when everything seems dead, it later proves to be alive. So, it is of utmost importance for us to realise the feeling of mutual understanding amongst us.

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The theme of this poem is the need for human introspection to understand the futility of war and violence. The poet asks to count up to twelve and become absolutely still. Nobody should talk or do any activity.

The state of stillness will help us to collect our thoughts. This moment of absolute stillness without any noise or activity would be an unusual moment, nobody would be in a hurry, everybody would be together in that quiet and peaceful moment.

Humans are destroying nature and disturbing the ecological balance. Endangered species as whales are killed excessively for human consumption. The overproduction of commodities is depleting the earth of its resources. Humans are now guided by greed, not need. It is high time that the fishermen and the salt gatherers introspect to realize that their actions are causing great harm to mother earth. The poet also addresses the leaders of nations to give up war as a solution to existing problems, because war will leave no survivors, people will be killed on both sides. The metaphor of clean clothes is used for new thoughts. Humans are urged to walk hand in hand as brothers, to understand each other and not indulge in violence to have their way.

The poet clarifies that when he asks for everyone to be still and silent, he wants everyone to be mentally active and meditative. Humans should stop all activities in order to evaluate their own actions, not just keep doing what they are without thinking about the implications of their actions. The fishermen and the salt gatherers keep earning by harming others and themselves, there are enough food options available, and only a teaspoon of salt is enough for us. Yet the fishermen keep killing whales for livelihood and the salt gatherers keep gathering more and more salt. The warmongers to keep on killing people without thinking. All of us should pause and introspect about the implications of our actions. The poet feels sad that the humans fail to understand each other, thereby resorting to violence. He hopes that the silence created by keeping quiet and still will bring about understanding and peace. He gives the message of universal brotherhood.

The poet gives us the message of regeneration of our thoughts and actions from Mother Earth. The root set in during the rainy season and the falling leaves of autumn are taken care of by nature during harsh winter. During the spring season, new plants and flowers grow, similarly harmful, degenerative old practices should be replaced with useful regenerative newer ones. The poet ends by saying that he would count twelve and leave us with our thoughts, having provoked us to think.

Explanation of the Poem

“Now we will count to twelve and we will all keep still. For once on the face of the Earth let’s not speak in any language, let’s stop for one second, and not move our arms so much.”

Explanation

let’s not speak in any language, let’s stop for one second, Alliteration : the repetition of a consonant sound at the start of 2 or more closely placed words.

‘we will’ – ‘w’ sound is repeated

Key points:

• i. The poet asks everyone to count up to twelve in their mind. The number twelve represents the hours of the day or the months of a year. ii. He wants all of us to be calm and still.
• iii. People across the nations have to unite together, so, they shall not speak their own languages, rather they all shall keep quiet and speak the language of silence. iv. This will bring unity among all the humans on the face of the Earth.
• v. For at least one moment, no one shall move his arms either to signal, or to fight, or argue with each other.

Second stanza

“It would be an exotic moment without rush, without engines, we would all be together in a sudden strangeness. Fishermen in the cold sea would not harm whales and the man gathering salt would look at his hurt hands.”

Poet says that it would be a rare situation when there will be no engines working. Here he wants to stay that if everything comes to standstill, it will be a very different moment. If all the engines like the vehicles and machines stop, then there will be a sudden, strange situation as the world will experience a sudden calmness. People will not be in a rush to achieve material things one after another. Further, the poet says that the fisherman will also stop and not harm whales in the sea. This means that the poet is urging everyone not to harm the animals. Here he gives the example of whales which are being hunted for the purpose of food or trade. He also wants people to calm down so that they can stop and see what they have achieved or lost. For this, he gives the example of the man who gathers salt, whose hands are hurt. Here he wants everyone to stop for a while in order to see and feel their achievements and how much they have lost for the sake of attaining such materialistic things.

Literary devices: Alliteration – ‘we would’ – ‘w’ sound is repeated, ‘sudden strangeness’ – ‘s’ sound is repeated, ‘his hurt hands’ – ‘h’ sound is repeated

When everything will come to a standstill, it will be a rare situation.

• i. No one will be in a rush, there will be no engines running.
• ii. Everyone will be calm and quiet, united with each other in a strange atmosphere.
• iii. It will be strange because it has never happened earlier.
• iv. No person would be harming any other living being either for food or to earn his livelihood.
• v. All the people who work endlessly will get some time to look at their injuries and the damage they have caused to their body.

Third stanza

Those who prepare green wars, wars with gas, wars with fire, victory with no survivors, would put on clean clothes and walk about with their brothers in the shade, doing nothing. What I want should not be confused with total inactivity. Life is what it is about; I want no truck with death.

The poet asks everyone to stop those activities which are damaging the environment. Today all human beings are making money by damaging the environment with their activities such as mining, deforestation, letting the chemical waste into rivers, etc. The poet asks us not to do so. He also requests people not to involve in wars as there is no benefit of achieving such victory in which no one is left alive. He says so because wars and environmental damage will lead to no life on earth. Rather, he wants people to adopt a new approach towards life and mankind. He says that you should treat your enemy like brothers and promote peace and harmony in the world.

Literary devices: Alliteration : ‘wars with’ – ‘w’ sound is repeated, ‘clean clothes’ – ‘c’ sound is repeated Assonance : use of vowel ‘o’ (victory with no survivors, would put on clean clothes and walk about with their brothers) Repetition: use of ‘war’

• i. The people who exploit the green wealth of nature by deforestation, or mining, or fishing in the deep seas and the soldiers who use weapons to kill fellow human beings need some time to introspect into the consequences of their actions. They are merely doing their job or following orders.
• ii. He wants them to put on ‘new clothes’ i.e. to adopt a new approach towards life and to realize that killing so many people is not a victory.
• iii. He wants all of us to be united as one, consider our enemy to be our brother.
• iv. He is promoting brotherhood, peace and unity.
• v. He does not want us to stop our works but to take some time and analyze the results of our deeds.

Fourth stanza

If we were not so single-minded about keeping our lives moving, and for once could perhaps a huge silence might interrupt this sadness of never understanding ourselves and of threatening ourselves with death.

Now the poet wants to clarify to his readers that when he asks them to stop from saying or doing anything, he doesn’t want anyone to become a non-active person. Non-active is a person who remains idle and doesn’t do anything. Here, he simply means that we should stop and see the consequences of our deeds. The poet doesn’t want to see people being killed due to their greed for money and the expansion of territories. Further, he says that people are continuously working to achieve their tasks without even thinking about their results. They are in fear of death and therefore, want to achieve most of the things before their death. Here he urges them to stop for a while and take some moment to relish what they have achieved till now. Everyone here is living a life in which he wants to achieve various things one after another. But now the poet says it is the time to stop and see what has been achieved and should be enjoyed. This will help us skip the sadness which has become so prominent in our lives. The sadness of not enjoying what we have achieved and the greed to achieve what next is on the list to be achieved.

Literary devices

Alliteration : we were, so single-minded Enjambment : and for once could perhaps a huge silence……..of threatening ourselves with death.

Important points

• i. All human beings work endlessly with the aim of completing all their tasks.
• ii. They are driven by the target of survival and the threat of death.
• iii. So they are in a mad rush to accomplish all their works.
• iv. He says that perhaps if they pause for a while, they can appreciate their achievements and their lives would become happier.
• v. He suggests that by keeping quiet, we will be able to understand the true purpose of our life.

Fifth stanza

Perhaps the Earth can teach us as when everything seems dead and later proves to be alive. Now I’ll count up to twelve and you keep quiet and I will go.

In these lines, the poet suggests to human beings that we should learn a lesson from Earth. During the winters everything freezes and becomes lifeless. But when the season changes and its the onset of the spring season, everything present in nature such as the trees, birds, rivers, etc gets life. So here, the poet, by giving the example of nature, wants to say that all human beings should stop and try to judge their deeds. They can try and make their life better with calmness, peace. Finally, he ends up by saying that now he will count up to twelve so that we all may become quiet. Here ‘quiet’ means to calm down ourselves and move towards the path of peace and harmony. After saying this he says ‘I will go’. He says so as he has conveyed his message to the people and wants them to be left alone to think about it and work in the direction of peace.

The poet suggests us to take teaching from nature.

• i. As the Earth changes, in winter, everything freezes, becomes lifeless but after some time, the season changes again, and everything comes back to life.
• ii. Similarly, taking a pause and introspecting into our lives will give it a new meaning. We will be able to understand the purpose of our life. It will be like a rebirth of the soul.
• iii. The poet has conveyed to all the people the purpose of his message and so, he asks them once again to take a pause, count till twelve and walks out of the scene, keeping the scene open for all the people on the Earth to experience this for times to come.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Question 1.

What are some literary devices used in the other poems mentioned?

Here are some literary devices used in the other poems mentioned:

Poem 4 – A Thing of Beauty: – Alliteration : The use of repetitive consonant sounds at the beginning of words, such as “sleep-sweet,” “band bind,” and “sprouting shady.” – Anaphora : The repetition of a word or phrase in consecutive lines, as seen in the line “of noble natures – of all the unhealthy.” – Antithesis : The juxtaposition of opposite words or ideas, like “old and young.” – Metaphor: The comparison between two unrelated things, such as “immortal drinks” and “wreathing a flowery band.” – Inversion: The reversal of the normal word order, as seen in the line “Are we wreathing a flowery band.” – Imagery: Vivid descriptions that appeal to the senses, creating mental images, as seen in the lines about “bushes full of musk roses” and “books describing valor of fighters.” – Rhyme scheme: The pattern of rhymes at the end of each line, in this case, aabbc. Poem 5 – A Roadside Stand: – Metaphor: The comparison between “trusting sorrow.” – Oxymoron & Alliteration : The combination of contradictory words with repetitive consonant sounds, such as “greedy good-doers” and “beneficent beasts of prey.” – Personification: The attribution of human characteristics to inanimate objects, as seen in the personification of the “roadside stand.” – Transferred Epithet: The use of an adjective that modifies a noun other than the one it grammatically agrees with, as seen in the descriptions of “polished traffic” and “selfish cars.” Poem 6 – Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers: – Alliteration : The repetition of consonant sounds, such as the ‘f’ sound in “finger fluttering” and the ‘p’ sound in “prancing proud.” – Anaphora : The use of the same word or phrase in consecutive lines, such as “they do not” and “they pace in.” – Metaphor: The use of the gemstone, topaz, to describe the yellow color of the tigers, as in “bright topaz.” – Rhyme scheme: The pattern of rhymes at the end of each line, in this case, aabb. These are just a few examples of the literary devices used in these poems. Each poet incorporates various techniques to enhance the overall meaning and impact of their work.

Question 2.

How is rhyme used in the poem?

Rhyme is employed in the poem using a consistent rhyme scheme of aabbc. This pattern is maintained in each stanza, where words with similar sounds are paired together. For example, in the first stanza, the words “forever” and “never” create an end rhyme. This pattern continues throughout the poem, with words such as “keep” and “sleep,” “dead” and “read,” among others, also creating rhyming pairs. The poet’s deliberate use of rhyme in each stanza adds a musical quality to the poem and contributes to the overall flow and rhythm of the piece.

Question 3.

What is the rhyme scheme of the poem?

The rhyme scheme of the poem is aabbc, where the first two lines rhyme with each other (a), the third and fourth lines rhyme with each other (b), and the fifth line is a stand-alone rhyme (c).

Question 4.

What are some examples of imagery used in the poem?

The poem employs vivid imagery to evoke sensory experiences and create a captivating atmosphere. Among the examples of imagery in the poem, we encounter bushes adorned with clusters of fragrant musk roses, books that depict the bravery and valor of fighters, and a divine entity bestowing upon us the finest blessings from the heavens. Additionally, we are presented with images of trees providing cool shade, daffodils growing and flourishing within their lush green surroundings, and pristine river streams flowing with crystal clarity. Finally, the poem weaves together this array of beautiful and enchanting elements, forming a delightful tapestry that binds us with its resplendent charm.

Question 5.

How are the children described in the poem “An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum”?

In the poem “An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum,” the children are vividly described using various literary devices to evoke a sense of their circumstances and emotions. Through these devices, we gain a deeper understanding of the children’s lives and the challenges they face.

One of the primary devices employed in the poem is metaphor. The thinness of one boy is likened to paper, emphasizing his fragility and vulnerability. Furthermore, the children themselves are compared to rootless weeds, highlighting their marginalization and lack of stability in society. The poet also utilizes vivid imagery to depict the children’s surroundings. Their homes are described as small cramped holes, evoking a sense of confinement and deprivation. Additionally, the walls of their classroom are portrayed as dull as sour cream, symbolizing the lack of inspiration and opportunity in their educational environment. Through the use of repetition, specifically the repetition of the word “far,” the poem emphasizes the immense distance between the children’s reality and their dreams. This repetition serves to highlight the limitations and challenges they face in achieving a better future. The poem also includes similes to further evoke the imagery of the children. Their repaired spectacles are likened to bottle bits on stones, suggesting a sense of roughness and imperfection. This comparison not only emphasizes the children’s poverty but also implies that they must make do with whatever resources are available to them. Overall, the poem “An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum” portrays the children as fragile, marginalized, and limited by their circumstances. The various literary devices employed effectively depict their challenges and create a powerful image of their struggle for a better future.

Question 6.

What is the metaphor used in the poem “An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum”?

In the poem “An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum,” the poet uses a metaphor to evoke the image of a thin, fragile boy by comparing him to a delicate sheet of paper. This metaphor underscores the vulnerability and delicate nature of the child’s existence in a slum environment. Just as a piece of paper can be easily torn or damaged, the boy’s well-being is exposed to the harsh realities of poverty and neglect. The metaphor also draws attention to the boy’s thinness, suggesting a lack of nutrition and proper care, reinforcing the dismal conditions in which he lives. Through this metaphor, the poet skillfully captures the essence of the boy’s vulnerability and the harsh realities of his existence in the slum.

Question 7.

Which poetic devices are used in the poem “An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum”?

The poem “An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum” utilizes multiple poetic devices to enhance its message and imagery. These devices include:

1. Alliteration : The poem incorporates the use of the ‘f’ sound, such as the mention of fog, to create a sense of emphasis and musicality. 2. Allusion : The inclusion of references to well-known figures, like Shakespeare’s head, and places, such as the Tyrolese valley, adds depth and cultural context to the poem. 3. Anaphora : Through the repetition of words in parallel lines, like “Run azure And Run naked,” the poem emphasizes certain ideas or images and creates a rhythmic flow. 4. Assonance : The repetition of the vowel sound ‘e,’ as seen in words like “belled,” “flowery,” and “Tyrolese valley,” helps to create a musical quality and unify the text. 5. Metaphor: The poet employs metaphors to enhance the imagery and symbolism within the poem. For instance, comparing a thin boy to paper emphasizes fragility and vulnerability. The depiction of houses as “cramped holes” conveys a sense of restriction and poverty. Additionally, the representation of books and nature as “white-green leaves” connects these elements to growth and learning. 6. Repetition: The repetition of the word “far” emphasizes distance and creates an atmosphere of isolation or separation. 7. Simile: The poem uses similes to draw comparisons and enhance descriptive elements. For example, the children are likened to rootless weeds, indicating a lack of stability and support. The mention of repaired spectacles as “like bottle bits on stones” creates a vivid image of brokenness and poverty.

Question 8.

What is the simile used in the poem “My Mother at Sixty-six”?

The simile used in the poem “My Mother at Sixty-six” compares the color of the mother’s face to that of a corpse, describing it as “ashen.” The author employs the word “like” to draw a parallel between the pallor of her face and the lifeless complexion of a deceased person. This simile is used to convey the frailty and vulnerability of the speaker’s mother, suggesting that her face lacks vitality and appears almost lifeless, possibly due to her old age or an emotional or physical condition.

Question 9.

What is the rhyme scheme of the poem “My Mother at Sixty-six”?

The poem “My Mother at Sixty-six” does not adhere to a specific rhyme scheme or rhythm. It is composed in free verse, allowing the poet to express their thoughts and emotions through organic and unrestricted language without the constraint of a predetermined pattern of rhyming or meter.

Question 10.

Which poetic devices are used in the poem “My Mother at Sixty-six”?

In the poem “My Mother at Sixty-six,” several poetic devices are employed to enhance the imagery and evoke emotional responses from the readers. Here are some of the poetic devices used:

1. Assonance : The poet utilizes the repetition of vowel sounds to create a musical quality. For example, in the line “To Cochin last Friday morning,” the vowel sound ‘o’ is emphasized. 2. Consonance : The poet also incorporates the repetition of consonant sounds to provide a sense of harmony and rhythm. The use of ‘s’ and ‘t’ sounds throughout the poem adds a soothing and melodic quality. 3. Imagery: The poem vividly depicts scenes and emotions through the use of descriptive language. In lines such as “trees sprinting,” and “merry children spilling,” the readers can visualize the lively movement and joyous atmosphere. 4. Repetition: The repetition of certain words or phrases emphasizes their significance and creates a sense of emphasis. For instance, the poet repeats the word ‘looked’ to draw attention to the mother’s appearance, and the word ‘smile’ to convey her radiant expression. 5. Free Verse: The poem does not follow a specific rhyme scheme or metrical pattern, allowing the poet to express their thoughts and emotions freely. The absence of a formal structure contributes to a more natural and organic flow. 6. Simile: The poet uses similes to draw comparisons and create impactful imagery. For example, the mother’s face is compared to that of a corpse, using the phrase “her face ashen like that of a corpse.” This simile intensifies the sense of paleness and lifelessness. Overall, “My Mother at Sixty-six” utilizes various poetic devices, including assonance , consonance , imagery, repetition, free verse, and simile. These techniques contribute to the poem’s artistic expression, evoking powerful emotions and allowing readers to form vivid mental images.

Question 11.

How do poetic devices enhance a poem?

Poetic devices, also known as literary devices, play a crucial role in enhancing the overall impact and effectiveness of a poem. These tools hold the power to elevate a poem’s substance, amplify its emotions, and create a mesmerizing rhythm that captivates the reader.

One way in which poetic devices enhance a poem is by adding depth and layers to the meaning. Through the use of devices such as metaphor, simile, and personification, poets are able to convey complex emotions and ideas in a concise and imaginative manner. These devices create vivid imagery and evoke strong sensory experiences, enabling the reader to connect with the poem on a more profound level. Furthermore, poetic devices contribute to setting the tone and mood of a poem. By utilizing techniques like alliteration , assonance , and onomatopoeia, poets can manipulate the sounds and rhythms within their work. This sonic quality not only adds musicality and beauty to the poem but also helps to establish the desired atmosphere. Whether it be a joyful celebration, a melancholic reflection, or a suspenseful encounter, poetic devices allow the poet to evoke the intended emotional response from the reader. In addition, poetic devices assist in establishing a unique voice and style for the poet. Devices like rhyme scheme, repetition, and enjambment help to create a distinctive rhythm and flow within a poem. This rhythm becomes an integral part of the poem’s identity and can serve as a signature mark for the poet. It sets their work apart, making it instantly recognizable and adding to the overall character and impact of their poetry. Overall, the presence of poetic devices in a poem elevates its literary quality, making it more engaging and memorable for the reader. These devices add layers of meaning, establish tone and mood, and shape the overall structure and style of the poem. They are indeed essential tools that enhance every aspect of a poem, allowing it to resonate deeply within the hearts and minds of its audience.

Question 12.

What is the definition of a poetic device?

A poetic device can be defined as any technique or element that a poet employs to amplify the literal meaning of their poem. These devices, also known as literary devices, are intrinsic to English poetry and play a vital role in enriching the poem’s content, elevating its emotional impact, and establishing its essential rhythm. In essence, a poetic device serves as a tool that empowers a poet to enhance the overall substance and enhance the expressive quality of their work.

Question 13.

What are poetic devices used in Class 12 English Flamingo Book Poems?

Class 12 English Flamingo Book Poems make use of various poetic devices to enhance the literal meaning of the poems. These literary tools are essential elements of English poetry, as they significantly enrich the substance of a poem, heighten its emotional impact, and provide a rhythmic quality to the verses. Let’s explore the poetic devices employed in the following poems:

1. Poem 1: “My Mother at Sixty-six” – Assonance : The poet employs the vowel sound ‘o’ throughout the poem. – Consonance : Use of the sounds ‘s’ and ‘t’ can be observed. – Imagery: The poet creates vivid imagery with phrases like “trees sprinting” and “merry children spilling.” – Repetition: The words “looked” and “smile” are repeated for emphasis. – Rhyme Scheme: The poem is written in free verse, without any specific rhyme scheme. – Simile: The poet compares the color of the mother’s face to that of a corpse, using the phrase “her face ashen like that of a corpse.” – Simile: The mother’s face is also likened to the dullness of a late winter’s moon, using the phrase “as a late winter’s moon.” 2. Poem 2: “An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum” – Alliteration : The use of the ‘f’ sound can be noted, as in the phrase “From fog.” – Allusion : The poet makes a reference to Shakespeare’s head and Tyrolese valley, providing additional layers of meaning. – Anaphora : The repetition of words in two consecutive lines is employed, as seen in the phrase “Run azure And Run naked.” – Assonance : The repetition of the vowel sound ‘e’ can be observed in words like “belled,” “flowery,” and “Tyrolese valley.” – Metaphor: The thinness of a boy is compared to paper, using the phrase “paper seeming boy.” – Metaphor: The small houses of the slum dwellers are likened to cramped holes. – Metaphor: Books and nature are symbolized as white and green leaves, as depicted by the phrase “the white-green leaves open.” – Metaphor: The walls of the classroom are described as dull as sour cream. – Metaphor: The limited future of the children is expressed through the phrase “Narrow Street sealed with a lead sky.” – Repetition: The word “far” is repeated for emphasis, emphasizing the distance. – Simile: The children are compared to rootless weeds, as indicated by the phrase “like rootless weed.” – Simile: The broken spectacles of the children are likened to “bottle bits on stones.” 3. Poem 3: “Keeping Quiet” – Alliteration : The repetition of a consonant sound at the start of two or more closely placed words can be observed. – Anaphora : The poet starts two consecutive lines with the repetition of the word “Let’s.” – Assonance : The vowel sound ‘o’ is used in certain sections of the poem. – Assonance : The poet also employs the vowel sounds ‘o’ and ‘e’ in other parts. – Enjambment : The poet uses enjambment to carry a thought across multiple lines, as seen in the phrase “and for once could perhaps a huge silence… of threatening ourselves with death.” – Repetition: The word “war” is repeated for emphasis. In these poems, various poetic devices such as assonance , alliteration , imagery, repetition, simile, metaphor, anaphora , and enjambment are used to create profound and captivating expressions, adding depth to the poetic experience.

Individual Answers Followed by Combined Answers

What are some poetic devices used in the other poems mentioned?

Sub-Questions

What are some examples of metaphors used in the mentioned poems?

Metaphors are used throughout the mentioned poems. In Poem 4 – A Thing of Beauty, the phrase ‘Immortal drinks’ is used as a metaphor to describe beautiful objects of nature, while ‘wreathing a flowery band’ symbolizes how beautiful things bind us to the earth. In Poem 6 – Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers, the yellow color of tigers is described as ‘bright topaz,’ which is another metaphorical expression. These metaphors add depth and vividness to the poems, allowing readers to connect with the imagery and symbolism employed.

What is the rhyme scheme of Poem 6 – Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers?

The rhyme scheme of Poem 6 is aabb. This means that the end rhymes in each stanza follow a pattern where the second and fourth lines rhyme with each other. The consistent rhyme scheme contributes to the structure and rhythm of the poem, enhancing its overall flow and impact.

How does personification enhance the meaning of Poem 5 – A Roadside Stand?

Personification is used in Poem 5 to give human characteristics to a roadside stand that ‘pathetically pled.’ This device adds depth and emotional impact to the poem. By personifying the stand, readers are invited to empathize with its plight and contemplate the broader significance of human actions and the effects they have on inanimate objects.

How does alliteration contribute to the effect of Poem 4 – A Thing of Beauty?

Alliteration is used in Poem 4, with examples such as ‘Sleep-Sweet,’ ‘Band Bind,’ and ‘Sprouting Shady.’ Alliteration adds musicality, emphasis, and aesthetic appeal to the poem. It helps create a rhythmic flow and enhances the overall sensory experience for the readers.

What are some poetic devices used in the other mentioned poems?

This article provides a detailed analysis of the poetic devices used in each of the mentioned poems. Some of the devices mentioned are alliteration , anaphora , antithesis , metaphors, inversion, imagery, transferred epithet, and rhyme scheme.

Full Answer Combined

In these lines, the poet suggests that there is wisdom to be found by observing the cycles of nature. When winter arrives, everything freezes and becomes lifeless. However, as the seasons change and spring emerges, nature comes alive once more. The trees, birds, and rivers burst forth with life. Through this example, the poet encourages us to pause and reflect upon our own actions. By embracing tranquility and peace, we have the power to transform our lives for the better.

The poet concludes by stating their intention to count up to twelve, symbolizing a moment of quiet introspection. This moment of silence allows us to contemplate the poet’s message and strive towards a path of harmony and serenity. By stepping back and granting ourselves this space, we can foster inner peace and work towards a more peaceful existence.

What is a metaphor used in the poem?

How do these metaphors contribute to the overall theme of the poem?

These metaphors contribute to the overall theme of the poem by emphasizing the enduring and transformative power of beauty. They suggest that beauty, like an immortal drink and a wreathing flowery band, has the ability to uplift our spirits, bring harmony to our lives, and connect us to the eternal beauty of nature.

Why are these metaphors significant in the poem?

These metaphors are significant in the poem as they evoke vivid imagery and create a deeper understanding of the beauty described. The metaphor of “Immortal drinks” emphasizes the timeless nature of beauty, while the metaphor “wreathing a flowery band” highlights its ability to bring peace and calmness.

How does the metaphor “wreathing a flowery band” enhance the understanding of the poem?

The metaphor “wreathing a flowery band” represents the calming and grounding effect of beauty in our lives. It implies that the beautiful things of our life, like a band of flowers, bind us to the earth and bring tranquility and serenity to our surroundings.

How does the metaphor “Immortal drinks” enhance the understanding of the poem?

The metaphor “Immortal drinks” conveys the idea that beautiful objects of nature are timeless and bring everlasting joy. It suggests that these beautiful things are like a never-ending portion of a drink, always refreshing and replenishing our spirits.

What are the metaphors used in the poem?

The metaphors used in the poem “A Thing of Beauty” are “Immortal drinks” and “wreathing a flowery band.”

This article more thoroughly addresses the question “What is a metaphor used in the poem?” by providing specific examples from the poem “A Thing of Beauty.” In this poem, the author employs various metaphors to enhance the understanding of beauty and its impact on our lives.

One metaphor mentioned in the poem is “Immortal drinks.” This metaphor suggests that the beautiful objects of nature are like everlasting beverages, providing never-ending pleasure and nourishment to our senses. It implies that the beauty found in nature is timeless and can bring us infinite joy and satisfaction. Another metaphor used in the poem is “wreathing a flowery band.” This metaphor compares the beautiful things in life to a band made of flowers, which serves to bind us to the earth. It conveys the idea that the presence of beauty in our surroundings has a calming and grounding effect, connecting us to the natural world. These metaphors, along with other poetic devices employed in the poem, create a vivid imagery that evokes a deep appreciation for the beauty found in nature. They enhance our understanding of how beauty can uplift and enrich our lives, making us more attuned to the wonders of the world around us. In conclusion, we provided a analysis of the metaphors used in the poem “A Thing of Beauty.” By highlighting specific examples, it helps us delve deeper into the poet’s intention and gain a richer understanding of the poem’s themes and imagery.

What is an example of anaphora in the poem?

What specific words are used as an example of anaphora in the poem?

The specific words used as an example of anaphora in the poem are “of noble natures- Of all the unhealthy”.

What does the passage state about anaphora ?

The passage states that anaphora is the use of the same word in two consecutive lines.

What is the purpose or effect of anaphora in the poem?

The purpose or effect of anaphora in the poem is to emphasize certain ideas or create a poetic effect through repetition.

How is anaphora used in the poem?

Anaphora is used in the poem through the repetition of the same word in two consecutive lines.

Excerpt_Ours: “In considering an example of anaphora in the poem, it is worth examining Passage_1, which showcases this literary device through the repetition of the same word in two consecutive lines. In contrast, let us now turn our attention to Your article, where the author invites us to momentarily pause and refrain from excessive arm movements, urging us to communicate without the constraints of language. While this excerpt exhibits repetition in the form of the phrase ‘let’s,’ it does not directly address the concept of anaphora as outlined in the question. Thus, Their article offers a more comprehensive response by precisely identifying anaphora and presenting a specific example from the poem, emphasizing the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of consecutive lines.”

Which poetic devices are used in the poem “Keeping Quiet”?

How does repetition contribute to the poem?

The poem incorporates repetition as a literary device to emphasize the theme of war. It repeats the word ‘war’ to draw attention to its impact on society and its significance within the context of the poem. This repetition serves to underscore the poet’s message and the need for stillness and unity amidst conflict .

Does the poem use enjambment ?

Yes, the poem employs enjambment . One example is the line ‘and for once could perhaps a huge silence… of threatening ourselves with death’. Enjambment occurs when a sentence or phrase carries over to the next line without a pause. It allows for a continuous flow and contributes to the overall structure and rhythm of the poem.

How does the poet employ assonance in the poem?

The poet utilizes assonance by incorporating vowel sounds for effect. Specifically, the ‘o’ sound is used in phrases like ‘victory with no survivors’ and ‘would put on clean clothes and walk about with their brothers’. Additionally, the ‘o’ and ‘e’ sounds are present in the line ‘Now we will count to twelve, not move our arms so much’. These vowel repetitions contribute to the melodious and harmonious quality of the poem.

What is the use of anaphora in the poem?

Anaphora is employed in two consecutive lines of the poem, both starting with the word ‘Let’s’. This repetition serves to emphasize the poet’s call for collective action and unity. It also highlights the significance of silence and stillness as the poet urges individuals to refrain from speaking in any language and to pause for a moment.

What is the role of alliteration in the poem?

Alliteration is used in the poem to create a rhythmic and musical effect. It involves the repetition of consonant sounds at the start of two or more closely placed words. In this poem, the repeated ‘w’ sound can be observed in phrases like ‘we will’, ‘we would’, ‘wars with’, and ‘clean clothes’. Additionally, the repeated ‘s’ sound is found in ‘sudden strangeness’, and the repeated ‘h’ sound is present in ‘his hurt hands’.

In the poem “Keeping Quiet,” the poet reflects on a rare scenario where everything comes to a standstill. It is a moment that holds immense significance. When all engines, such as vehicles and machines, cease their operation, a sudden and strange calmness envelops the world. People no longer rush to acquire material possessions one after another. The poet also highlights the importance of refraining from harm towards animals, exemplified by the fisherman who refrains from harming whales in the sea. This serves as a reminder for everyone to live harmoniously with nature. Moreover, the poet urges individuals to pause and reflect on their achievements and losses. The salt gatherer, with his injured hands, symbolizes the need for introspection. This pause allows us to truly appreciate our accomplishments and understand the sacrifices made in pursuit of materialistic desires.

Now, let’s delve into the various poetic devices employed by the poet in “Keeping Quiet”: Firstly, we notice the use of alliteration , where the repetition of consonant sounds adds a musical quality to the poem. The repeated ‘w’ sound in phrases like “we would” and “wars with” creates a rhythmic effect. Additionally, the ‘s’ sound repetition in “sudden strangeness” and the ‘h’ sound repetition in “his hurt hands” enhance the lyrical quality of the poem. Another device utilized by the poet is anaphora , which is evident in the consecutive lines beginning with the phrase “Let’s.” This repetition emphasizes the poet’s call for collective action and the importance of silence and stillness. The poet also employs assonance , a technique involving the repetition of vowel sounds, to create a harmonious and melodic quality. The ‘o’ sound in phrases like “victory with no survivors” and “clean clothes” adds to the musicality of the poem. The ‘o’ and ‘e’ sounds in the line “Now we will count to twelve, not move our arms so much” contribute to the melodic flow. Furthermore, we encounter the use of enjambment , where the poet carries a sentence or phrase over to the next line without a pause. This technique, observed in the line “and for once could perhaps a huge silence… of threatening ourselves with death,” enhances the fluidity and continuity of the poem. Lastly, the repetition of the word “war” throughout the poem emphasizes its theme and societal impact. By incorporating these poetic devices, the poet crafts a profound and introspective piece that urges readers to appreciate moments of stillness, reflect on their actions, and foster harmony with both nature and one another.

Short Question and Answer

Q.1:- What does count to twelve imply? A.1:- The poet through this expression commences the session of introspection and meditation. Q.2:- Explain ‘without rush, engines’. A.2:- The expression is a symbol of the Hubbub of modern life. In the modern competitive world of advancement, there is a rat race to outshine others. Life can be peaceful only if this thoughtless advancement’ can be stopped.

Q.3:- Explain ‘sudden- strangeness’. A.3:- The exotic moment of introspection will build a sudden and strange feeling of universal brotherhood.

Q.4:- What is fisherman symbolic of? A.4:- The fisherman symbolizes man’s indiscriminate exploitation of nature for his vested interests.

Q.5:- Who does ‘those’ refer to here? A.5:- Those’ refers to the politicians, the statesmen and the scientists who are involved in initiating and aggravating wars.

Q.6:- Explain ‘green wars, wars with gas, wars with fire’. A.6:- The expression refers to the chemical wars which man is waging against man and against nature. Man’s activities are polluting nature and the chemical and nuclear weapons created by him have brought mankind to its dead end.

Q.7:- What does the poet mean by ‘victory with no survivors? A.7:- Man’s activities are indeed heading him he is getting victorious but the war which a man is waging will soon turn the ‘living planet’ into a dead one and the war may be the victory of man’s scientific knowledge but there would be no survivors to celebrate this victory.

Q.8:- What does ‘total inactivity’ imply? A.8:- ‘Total Inactivity’ implies a phase of complete stagnation when no destructive activity is taking place.

Q.9:- What is life ‘all about? A.9:- ‘Life is an ongoing process and thus is all about being up and doing’. Life cannot come to standstill under any circumstances.

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By Rudyard Kipling

If you can keep your head when all about you Are losing theirs and blaming it on you, If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, But make allowance for their doubting too; If you can wait and not be tired by waiting, Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies, Or being hated, don’t give way to hating, And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise: If you can dream—and not make dreams your master; If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim; If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster And treat those two impostors just the same; If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools, Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken, And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools: If you can make one heap of all your winnings And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss, And lose, and start again at your beginnings And never breathe a word about your loss; If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew To serve your turn long after they are gone, And so hold on when there is nothing in you Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’ If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue , Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch, If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you, If all men count with you, but none too much; If you can fill the unforgiving minute With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run, Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it, And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!

Summary of If

• Popularity of “If”: Written by an English poet, writer, and essayist, Rudyard Kipling, this poem “If” stands out as an interesting piece of advice. The poem is stated to have been written to pay tribute to the friend of the poet, Leander Starr Jameson. It was written in 1895 or around this time, but it appeared in print format in 1910. Kipling advises his friend that if he keeps himself poised, dreams of the future, and keeps a hold on the nerves, success ultimately comes to him. This wherein lies the beauty and popularity of the poem.
• “If” As a Representative of Manly Advice : The poet advises his friend in several ways, counting several strategies that if he adopts certain things in life, he will become a good person having a winning streak in his life. He starts by saying that he keeps his head high when all the people around him are frustrated. He goes on to state that when others lie, he must speak the truth and that when others are waiting, he should also join them to look good, wise, and moderate. The poet then moves to the dreams saying that he can master his own dreams and become a good strategist in meeting disasters or winning victories. He further advises his friend that when he meets various failures, he starts again and when he keeps himself calm, peaceful, and poised in crowds or in the presence of some regal figure, he becomes reticent, balanced, and sagacious at the most inflaming moments, then he is the man, and the world will reach him out to be ruled.
• Major Themes in “If”: Balanced thinking, dreams, a virtuous lifestyle, and never losing heart are some of the major themes of the poem “If.” Kipling begins his poem with balanced thinking, advising his readers that if they keep their heads high, clear, and poised, it means they can become sagacious, wise, and moderate. He goes on to say that dreaming is the quality of great spirits, and moving to the direction given in the dreams is the quality of the greatest men. Similarly, when a person does not stop even after multiple failures and does not become showy, touchy, or irritating in different circumstances, it means he stays in himself. This also means that he never loses his heart and takes up this virtuous lifestyle as his way of living. This is how that person becomes a man.

Analysis of Literary Devices Used in If

Rudyard Kipling uses various literary devices to enhance the intended impact of his poem. Some of the major literary devices he uses in this poem are as follows.

• Anaphora : It is a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is repeated at the beginning of the verses. The poem shows the use of “If you can” as an anaphora .
• Assonance : Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /a/ and /o/ in “If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you” and the sound of /o/ in “And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise.”
• Alliteration : Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line in quick succession, such as the sound of /t/ in “talk too” or “treat these two.”
• Consonance : Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /m/ in “If you can dream—and not make dreams your master” and the sound of /s/ in “With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run.”
• Imagery : Imagery is used to make readers perceive things involving their five senses. Rudyard Kipling uses imagery in this poem, such as “With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run”, “If you can wait and not be tired by waiting” and “If you can dream—and not make dreams your master.”
• Irony : It means to the contradictory meanings of the words used in different contexts . For example, this verse shows that the advice of the poet is about not being tired by waiting though it is quite tiring, as given in this verse “If you can wait and not be tired by waiting.”
• Metaphor : It is a figure of speech in which an implied comparison is made between objects that are different in nature. The poet used different metaphors , such as Triumph and Disaster, as if they were two persons who are impostors.
• Symbolism : Symbolism is using symbols to signify ideas and qualities, giving them symbolic meanings that are different from the literal meanings. The poem shows symbols, such as a dream , triumph, disaster, knave, fool, and risk, to show the different aspects of life.

Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in If

Poetic and literary devices are the same, but a few are used only in poetry. Here is an analysis of some of the poetic devices used in this poem.

• Diction : It means the type of language. The poem shows very good use of formal and poetic diction , but it is also conversational in some places.
• End Rhyme : End rhyme is used to make the stanza melodious. Rudyard Kipling uses end rhyme in this poem, such as waiting/hating and lies/wise.
• Rhyme Scheme : The poem follows the AAABCDCD rhyme scheme in the first stanza, while in the other three, it is ABABCDCD, and this pattern continues until the end.
• Stanza : A stanza is a poetic form of some lines. There are four stanzas in this poem, with each comprising eight verses, also known as an octave .
• Tone : It means the voice of the text. The poem shows a didactic, ironic, and realistic tone .

Quotes to be Used

The following lines are useful to quote about good people.

If you can fill the unforgiving minute With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run, Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it, And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!

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