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What are the poetic devices used in the poem The Nightingale?

What are the poetic devices used in the poem The Nightingale?
English PoetrySir Philip SidneyThe Nightingale

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    2. Radhika
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      • Personification- Personification is a literary device in which non-human entities are given human characteristics or qualities. In the poem, the poet has personified the nightingale as a singer of sorrowful songs. Additionally, the Earth is personified in the lines, “While late bare earth, proud of new clothing, springeth”.

      • Allusion- An Allusion is a brief and indirect reference to a person, place, thing, or idea of historical, cultural, literary, or political significance. The poem alludes to the myth of Philomela which is mentioned in Ovid’s Metamorphoses.

      • Apostrophe- Apostrophe is a figure of speech where the speaker addresses an absent or imaginary person, or an abstract concept as if it were present and capable of responding. This is used in the lines, “O Philomela fair, O take some gladness”.

      • Refrain- A refrain is a repeated line, phrase, or group of lines in a poem or song. It serves as a chorus or a repeated element that adds rhythm, emphasis, or emotional impact to the work. The lines, “O Philomela fair, O take some gladness,/ That here is juster cause of plaintful sadness:/ Thine earth now springs, mine fadeth;/ Thy thorn without, my thorn my heart invadeth.” are used as a refrain at the end of the first and second stanza.

      • Antithesis- Antithesis is a rhetorical device in which contrasting ideas are expressed in parallel grammatical structures. It is used to create a balanced and contrasting effect, highlighting the differences between two ideas. It is used in the lines, “Thine earth now springs, mine fadeth;/ Thy thorn without, my thorn my heart invadeth” in order to set a contrast between the emotional states of the speaker and the nightingale.

      • Alliteration-Alliteration is the repetition of the initial consonant sounds in a series of words within a phrase or verse. It is often used for poetic or rhythmic effects, adding musicality and emphasis to the language. The sound “th” is repeated in the line, “Thy thorn without, my thorn my heart invadeth.”

      • Symbol- A symbol is a literary device that represents an idea, concept, or object beyond its literal meaning. In the poem, the singing nightingale, who was previously Philomela, is a symbolic representation of women who go through traumatic experiences and are victims of sexual violence.

      The Nightingale Summary

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