What are the poetic devices/figures of speech used in the poem A Lament?
What are the poetic devices/figures of speech used in the poem A Lament?
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This poem has a myriad of poetic devices, some of which are as follows:
Apostrophe can be observed when the persona directly addresses inanimate objects. This can be seen in the first line ‘O world! O life! O time!’
2. Eye Rhyme:
In order to maintain the rhyme scheme, eye rhyme has been employed. It is an imperfect rhyme where two words that are pronounced differently are rhymed. This can be seen in the poem with the rhyming of ‘time’, ‘climb’ and ‘prime’.
3. Metaphor:
This can be seen when ‘time’ is said to have ‘last steps’, thus compared to a ladder or a stairwell to signify that the persona’s days are numbered.
It can also be seen in the phrase ‘joy has taken flight’ where joy is compared to a bird that can fly away.
4. Refrain:
One line in the poem is repeated at the end of stanzas for added emphasis. The line ‘No more—Oh, never more!’ is the refrain in this poem.
A Lament Summary