AQA English Literature GCSE Poetry Analysis Techniques

Alliteration

Words that begin with the same letter in a row

Assonance

Words with the same vowel sound are repeated

Colloquial language

Language that is informal

Dialogue

Conversation between people

DIssonance

Unpleasant combination of sounds

Enjambment

When one sentence continues across multiple lines or verses

Hyperbole

Literary exaggeration

Imagery

Using language to create a mental picture

Metaphor

A word or phrase implying figurative resemblance

Monologue

Speech showing a character's state of mind or importance

Onomatopoeia

A word that sounds like what it is describing

Oxymoron

Where two contradictory words are brought together

Pathos

Language that evokes sadness and pity

Personification

Giving human qualities to something non-living

Repetition

Using the same word/phrase multiple times

Rhyme

Words that sound the same at the end of each line in a poem

Rhythm

The beat and sound of a poem

Simile

A phrase that compares two things together using "like" or "as

Symbolism

Objects and things that represent themes of the poem

Tone

The mood of the writer in the poem