Simile: A comparison between two unlike things using the words "like" or "as."
* Example: "Her eyes are like stars."
Metaphor: A comparison between two unlike things without using "like" or "as."
* Example: "My love is a rose."
Personification: Giving human qualities to inanimate objects or animals.
* Example: "The wind whispered secrets in my ear."
Hyperbole: Exaggeration for emphasis or effect.
* Example: "I'm so hungry I could eat a horse."
Understatement: The opposite of hyperbole, downplaying the importance of something.
* Example: "It was a bit chilly outside."
Oxymoron: Two contradictory terms used together.
* Example: "Sweet sorrow."
Alliteration: The repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words.
* Example: "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers."
Assonance: The repetition of vowel sounds within words.
* Example: "The sea shells she sold were sea shells she stole."
Imagery: Vivid language that appeals to the senses (sight, sound, smell, taste, touch).
* Example: "The golden sun sank slowly below the purple horizon."
Symbolism: The use of objects, characters, or events to represent abstract ideas.
* Example: A dove representing peace.
Metonymy: Using a closely related word or phrase to represent something else.
* Example: "The crown will make a decision." (Crown represents the monarch)
Synecdoche: Using a part to represent the whole or vice versa.
* Example: "Wheels are on their way." (Wheels represent cars)
Onomatopoeia: Words that sound like the noises they describe.
* Example: "The buzzing of the bees."
This is not an exhaustive list, but it gives you a good overview of the many types of figurative language that are commonly used in poetry. By understanding these figures of speech, you can better appreciate the richness and complexity of poetic language.