Literary Devices

Literary Devices

Simile: “A drop in the ocean / A change in the weather / I was praying that you and me might end up together / It’s like wishing for rain as I stand in the desert” (Pope 1-4). This quote illustrates a simile because the author uses like to make a direct comparison. It is used to demonstrate the improbability of the speaker and the girl becoming a couple.

Rhyme: “I'm a young soul in this very strange world hoping I could learn a bit about what is true and fake / But why all this hate? / Try to communicate/ Finding trust and love is not always easy to make (Naim 5-8). This is an example of rhyme because there is a similarity in sound between words that have corresponding positions.

Alliteration: “Roots, rock, reggae: dis a reggae music!” (Marley 9). This quote is an example of alliteration because there is a similar consonant sod in the words “roots,” “rock,” and “reggae.” Marley uses this alliteration to emphasize his cultural enjoyment of reggae music.

Repetition: “I know a place where we can carry on / I know a place where we can carry on / We can carry on, we can carry on / We can carry on, we can carry on” (Marley 7-10). The quote shows repetition because the same phrase is repeated continuously. Marley emphasizes “I know a place” because he wants to open up a safe haven for those who desire freedom from the hate and chaos of the world.

Repetition: “All you need is love / All you need is love / All you need is love, love / Love is all you need” (Beatles 12-15). This quote exemplifies repetition because the same phrase is repeated continuously. The Beatles repeat “all you need is love” to exemplify that anything and everything can be achieved through love.

Rhyme: “Just a little change / Small, to say the least / Both a little scared / Neither one prepared / Beauty and the Beast” (Dion 6-10). This is an example of rhyme because there is a similarity in sound between words that have corresponding positions.

Rhetorical Question: “What's love got to do, got to do with it? / What's love, but a second-hand emotion?” (Turner 11-12). This quote is an example of a rhetorical question because it is a question asked by the artist that does not necessarily require an answer. Tina Turner adds this lit device to her song to emphasize that physical attraction has nothing to do with love.

Repetition: “All I wanna say is that / They don't really care about us / All I wanna say is that / They don't really care about us” (Jackson 17-20). This is an example of repetition because the same phrase is repeated continuously. Michael Jackson repeats this phrase to emphasize the idea that the governments of all nations really don’t care about the welfare of its people.

Rhyme: “And then while I’m away / I’ll write home every day / And I’ll send all my loving to you / I’ll pretend I am kissing / The lips I am missing” (Beatles 4-8). This quote is an example of rhyme because there is a similarity in sound between words that have corresponding positions.

Simile: “Like autumn turns leaves, winter will breathe, cold on her necks, snow in our paths / Wherever she goes, all that I know about us is that beautiful things never last” (Pope 7-8). This quote is an example of a simile because the artist uses like to make a direct comparison. Ron Pope uses the simile in this passage to emphasize that just as the seasons turn things from pretty to old and ugly, nothing beautiful can ever last.