Poetic Devices
Literature in English · 50 practice questions
Imagery; sound (rhyme, rhythm, repetition, pun, onomatopoeia); diction; persona.
- Determine the devices used by various poets.
- Show how poetic devices are used for aesthetic effect and to convey message and meaning.
- Identify figures of speech in the texts.
Try a few questions
- Practice question 1
The 'objective correlative', a concept associated with T.S. Eliot, refers to a specific object, situation or sequence of events used by a poet to
- A.Evoke a particular emotion in the reader indirectly, by presenting a concrete image or scenario that corresponds to that emotion
- B.Avoid any emotional content whatsoever in the poem
- C.Provide a purely factual, scientific description with no emotional resonance
- D.Directly and explicitly state an emotion in abstract terms
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A. Evoke a particular emotion in the reader indirectly, by presenting a concrete image or scenario that corresponds to that emotion
The objective correlative evokes emotion indirectly through a concrete image/scenario corresponding to that emotion, rather than stating it directly.
- Practice question 2
'Zeugma' is a figure of speech in which a single word (often a verb) is used to govern or modify two or more other words, often in a surprising or witty way, such as 'she broke his car and his heart.' This device relies mainly on
- A.Applying one word across multiple, often incongruous, objects for economical or witty effect
- B.Repeating an entire phrase for emphasis
- C.Using a word that imitates the sound it names
- D.Comparing two unlike things using 'like' or 'as'
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A. Applying one word across multiple, often incongruous, objects for economical or witty effect
Zeugma applies a single word across multiple, often incongruous objects for economical or witty effect.
- Practice question 3
'Epistrophe' is a poetic (and rhetorical) device involving the repetition of a word or phrase
- A.At the beginning of successive lines or clauses
- B.At the end of successive lines, clauses or sentences, for emphasis or rhythmic effect
- C.Only once, at the exact centre of the poem
- D.In a completely random, unpatterned way throughout the poem
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B. At the end of successive lines, clauses or sentences, for emphasis or rhythmic effect
Epistrophe repeats a word/phrase at the end of successive lines or clauses, unlike anaphora's beginning-of-line repetition.
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