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Analysing Poetry

Identify and understand common poetic devices like metaphor, simile, personification, and imagery.

Key Ideas

  • Simile: Comparing two things using 'like' or 'as' (e.g., 'As brave as a lion').
  • Metaphor: Saying one thing IS another to suggest a likeness (e.g., 'The classroom was a zoo').
  • Personification: Giving human qualities to non-human things (e.g., 'The wind whispered').
  • Imagery: Descriptive language that appeals to the five senses.

Worked Examples

Example 1
"The old house groaned in the wind, its windows staring like empty eyes across the desolate valley."

Which two literary devices are used in this sentence?

A.Metaphor and Rhyme
B.Personification and Simile
C.Alliteration and Hyperbole
D.Onomatopoeia and Irony

Explanation

The house 'groaned' is Personification (houses can't actually groan).

Windows staring 'like empty eyes' is a Simile (uses 'like').

Therefore, the correct combination is Personification and Simile.

Ready to Practice?

Test your understanding of Analysing Poetry with targeted questions from our bank.

Common Mistakes
  • ×Confusing metaphors and similes.
  • ×Thinking personification only applies to animals (it applies to objects too).
  • ×Over-analyzing literal statements as figurative.
Exam Tip

"When analysing a metaphor, ask: 'How are these two different things similar?' to understand the poet's message."