Poetry Analysis: Literary Techniques, Diction, and Imagery
Literary Techniques:
Poetry Analysis 1
Diction and Imagery
Literary Techniques
• The meaning of a poem (i.e its focus, mood and the speaker’s attitude) is enhanced by four main types of literary techniques: • Diction
• Imagery
• Sound devices
• Rhythm, Rhyme and Repetition
Diction
• Diction is the choice of words a poet uses to bring meaning across.
In working through a poem, it is useful to question why a certain word is used, and what kind of effect is achieved with the choice and placement of the word.
• Analyze a word by its literal meaning first, then state whether there is an implied meaning based on its context:
“A rosy shield upon its back,
That not the hardest storm could crack.”
“The Dead Crab” by Andrew Young
• Why is “a rosy shield” used to describe the crab’s shell instead of “a hard cover”?
• Besides its implied meaning, diction also adds to the mood and attitude of a poem; the choice of words may be used to evoke a feeling within the reader. They may also hint at the poet / speaker’s attitude towards the issue:
“These, in the day when heaven was falling,
The hour when the earth’s foundation fled,
Followed their mercenary calling
And took their wages and are dead.”
A. E. Houseman
Why is the use of the word “mercenary” paradoxical, especially with “calling”?
The Highway Man
The wind was a torrent of darkness among the gusty trees, The moon was a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas, The road was a ribbon of moonlight over the purple moor, And the highwayman came riding— Riding—riding— The highwayman came riding, up to the old inn-door. • How is the setting described?
How does the diction heighten the atmosphere of the poem?
• How does the diction contribute to the rhythm of the poem?
Imagery
• Imagery is a picture in our minds created by words and one of the most effective ways of doing this is to use comparisons. Poets often compare one thing to another thing which the reader already knows or
is
Poetry Analysis 1
Diction and Imagery
Literary Techniques
• The meaning of a poem (i.e its focus, mood and the speaker’s attitude) is enhanced by four main types of literary techniques: • Diction
• Imagery
• Sound devices
• Rhythm, Rhyme and Repetition
Diction
• Diction is the choice of words a poet uses to bring meaning across.
In working through a poem, it is useful to question why a certain word is used, and what kind of effect is achieved with the choice and placement of the word.
• Analyze a word by its literal meaning first, then state whether there is an implied meaning based on its context:
“A rosy shield upon its back,
That not the hardest storm could crack.”
“The Dead Crab” by Andrew Young
• Why is “a rosy shield” used to describe the crab’s shell instead of “a hard cover”?
• Besides its implied meaning, diction also adds to the mood and attitude of a poem; the choice of words may be used to evoke a feeling within the reader. They may also hint at the poet / speaker’s attitude towards the issue:
“These, in the day when heaven was falling,
The hour when the earth’s foundation fled,
Followed their mercenary calling
And took their wages and are dead.”
A. E. Houseman
Why is the use of the word “mercenary” paradoxical, especially with “calling”?
The Highway Man
The wind was a torrent of darkness among the gusty trees, The moon was a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas, The road was a ribbon of moonlight over the purple moor, And the highwayman came riding— Riding—riding— The highwayman came riding, up to the old inn-door. • How is the setting described?
How does the diction heighten the atmosphere of the poem?
• How does the diction contribute to the rhythm of the poem?
Imagery
• Imagery is a picture in our minds created by words and one of the most effective ways of doing this is to use comparisons. Poets often compare one thing to another thing which the reader already knows or
is