- Simile: "like blood from a cut" compares the impact of the word 'goodbye' to the visceral intensity of blood flowing from a wound, emphasizing its emotional toll.
- Personification: "love has no body" gives the abstract concept of love a tangible, physical presence.
- Metaphor: "love's a dog from hell" employs a metaphor comparing love to a hellish dog released when the speaker utters the word 'goodbye', evoking an image of destructive chaos.
- Alliteration: The repetition of the 't' and 'd' sounds in "tongue tied, torn, twisted" enhances the sense of emotional turmoil and disarray brought about by the word 'goodbye'.
- Assonance: "tongue-tied, torn, twisted" relies on the repetition of the 'o' sound to create an auditory sense of anguish and difficulty in expressing emotions.
- Paradox: "for love is a dog from hell/that licks your face and bares its teeth" presents a paradox where love, often perceived as a positive emotion, is likened to a hellish creature that shows both affection and aggression.
Additionally, the entire poem hinges upon the central metaphor equating the word "goodbye" with a bullet shot by a gun, symbolizing the devastating emotional impact of parting ways in a relationship.