Metaphor: A comparison of two unlike things without using the words "like" or "as." For example, in Emily Dickinson's "Because I could not stop for Death," the speaker says, "Because I could not stop for Death / He kindly stopped for me." This metaphor compares death to a gentleman who kindly stops his carriage for the speaker.
Personification: Giving human qualities to an animal, object, or idea. For example, in William Wordsworth's "The World Is Too Much with Us," the speaker says, "Earth fills her lap with pleasures of her own." This personification gives the earth human qualities, such as the ability to fill her lap with pleasures.
Alliteration: The repetition of the same consonant sound at the beginning of a word or stressed syllable. For example, in Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven," the speaker says, "Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary." This alliteration creates a sense of rhythm and musicality.
Assonance: The repetition of the same vowel sound in a word or stressed syllable. For example, in Alfred, Lord Tennyson's "The Lady of Shalott," the speaker says, "Willows whiten, aspens quiver." This assonance creates a sense of flowing water and movement.
Consonance: The repetition of the same consonant sound at the end of a word or stressed syllable. For example, in Robert Frost's "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening," the speaker says, "Whose woods these are I think I know." This consonance creates a sense of finality and closure.