1. Alliteration – Alliteration is repetition of the same letter or sound in a line. In the poem alliteration occurs in the lines “see a shrink”, “blessings. Better”, “sulky with sugar”, etc.
2. Simile- simile is used when the poet directly compares one thing to another by using the words “as” or “like”. In this poem, the poet uses simile in the line “or hug your sadness like an eyeless doll”.
3. Repetition- Repetition is a literary device in which a word, phrase, or line is repeated for emphasis or effect. The phrase “you’re sad” in the first line of the poem.
4. Anaphora- anaphora is when a phrase is repeated in a stanza. In the poem, the word “it’s” is repeated in the second line of the poem.
5. Metaphor- metaphor is used when the poet makes an undercut comparison between two things without using the words “like” or “as”. In the, the poet compares the anger of the child to “the red flame is seeping out of you”.
6. Apostrophe- apostrophe is when the speaker in the poem directly addresses the listener or the reader. In the poem, the speaker is directly talking to the child and refers to them as “you” and “My darling”.
7. Imagery- imagery is the use of words by a poet to paint a picture in the minds of the reader. Imagery can be of various types; tactile, olfactory, auditory, gustatory and visual. In the poem, the poet uses visual imagery to paint the scene of the party in the second stanza of the poem.2
8. Rhetorical question- a rhetorical question is a question asked by the poet without the intention of getting an answer but to put stress on an idea. The first line of the 3rd stanza is a rhetorical question.
9. Epigram- epigram is a short phrase or saying in the last lines of the poem which express the idea of the poem. The last line of the poem expresses the central concept of the poem, i.e. everyone is sad and they learn how to endure it.

A Sad Child Summary