Literary resources of a poem
Poetry is one of the oldest and most universal arts. Since ancient times it has served as a means of expressing emotions, reflecting on existence and capturing the beauty of the world. One of the most distinctive characteristics of poetry is its use of literary devices, stylistic and linguistic elements that enrich the text and give it depth, musicality and meaning.
These resources are essential to transform words into vivid images., intense sensations and melodies that resonate in the reader. Through this article we will explore the main literary resources that are usually used in poetry, and that have turned it into a unique art, contributing to its beauty and the power it has to express emotions.
Main literary resources of poetry
Metaphor: the essence of poetic language
The metaphor is One of the most emblematic resources of the poetry. It consists of transferring the meaning of one word or expression to another by establishing an implicit relationship between them. This allows the poet to speak indirectly and suggestively, creating images that evoke emotional depth. By not explaining directly, the poet invites the reader to interpret, allowing for multiple readings and a personal connection with the text.
Example: fragment from “The Wait” by Jorge Luis Borges:
Before the hurried bell rings
and open the door and you enter, oh expected
Because of anxiety, the universe has
that having executed an infinite
series of concrete acts. No one can
compute that vertigo, the figure
of what mirrors multiply,
of shadows that lengthen and return,
of steps that diverge and converge.
The sand could not number them.
(In my chest, the blood clock measures
the fearful time of waiting).
Brief analysis of the metaphor
In "The Wait", Borges uses a pure metaphor that links the heart with a blood clock, relating the beating of the organ to the ticking of the object.
Simile: the explicit comparison
Unlike the metaphor, The simile establishes a direct comparison between two elements, generally through words. such as “seems”, “same as” or “which”. This resource helps to clarify images and emotions, facilitating the reader’s understanding.
Example: fragment of "I will spread my works with bacon...", by Francisco de Quevedo
I will spread my works with bacon
why don't you bite me, Gongorilla,
dog of the mills of Castile,
learned in jibes, like a boy on the way; (...)
Brief analysis of the simile
In this poem, Quevedo directly attacks Luis de Góngora, comparing him to a waiter, which would mean that the person in question has little literary talent, and that he uses expressions lightly.
Personification: humanizing the inanimate
personification gives human qualities to objects, animals or abstract ideas. This resource is fundamental in poetry, since it infuses life and movement into the inert, making the reader perceive it from a closer and more emotional perspective.
Example: fragment from «The country of the sun», by Rubén Darío
Next to the black palace of the king of the island of Iron —(Oh, cruel, horrible, banishment!)— How is that
You, harmonious sister, make the grey sky sing, your aviary of nightingales, your formidable music box?
Doesn't it sadden you to remember the spring when you heard a divine and iridescent bird
in the country of the sun?
Brief analysis of personification
In "The Country of the Sun", Ruben Dario refers to someone who, with the intrinsic harmony of its being, is able to make the grey sky sing, which is not only seen as an abstract element, but also represents melancholy.
Alliteration: the musicality of words
Alliteration consists of the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning or within words., creating a rhythmic or musical effect. This resource captures the reader's attention and reinforces the atmosphere of the poem.
Example: fragment of «Besos», by Gabriela Mistral
There are kisses that they pronounce by themselves
the condemning love sentence,
there are kisses that are given with the look
there are kisses that are given with memory.
There are silent kisses, noble kisses
there are enigmatic kisses, sincere
there are kisses that only souls give each other
There are forbidden kisses, true ones.
Analysis of alliteration
Through this poem by Mistral it is possible to notice how words and sounds are repeated and mixed. In particular, the author creates a game with hissing, using the s to turn his work into an ethereal, whispering entity.
Anaphora: repetition to intensify emotions
Anaphora is the repetition of one or more words at the beginning of consecutive verses or phrases. This resource generates an effect of insistence and emphasizes key ideas, involving the reader in the rhythm of the poem.
Example: fragment of «Romance of the moon, moon», by Federico García Lorca
The moon came to the forge
With her bustle of nards
The boy looks at her, looks
The boy is looking at her.
Brief analysis of anaphora
In «Romance of the moon, moon», Lorca uses the words "child" and "look" to give rhythm to his work, but also to highlight an action that is of great importance to the author.
Hyperbole: exaggeration to move
hyperbole It consists of exaggerating an idea or feeling to emphasize its intensity. This resource adds drama and can be used both to express extreme emotions and to generate a comic effect.
Example: fragment from "Too Many Names" by Pablo Neruda
Spring is so long
that lasts all winter:
time lost its shoes:
A year has four centuries.
Brief analysis of hyperbole
In "Too Many Names," Neruda exaggerates the length of the seasons, creating a mishmash of one another to express how ambiguous the times when one feels pain can be.
Sensory images: activating the senses
Sensory images appeal to the five senses: sight, hearing, touch, taste and smell.This resource allows the reader to experience the poem in an immersive way, as if they were inside it.
Example: fragment from “Poetic Art” by Jaime Gil de Biedma
The nostalgia of the sun on the rooftops,
on the dove-colored cement wall
—yet so vivid— and the cold
sudden, almost overwhelming.
Brief analysis of the sensory image
To create a feeling of melancholy, The author uses a visual image—of the sun on the rooftops, on the dove-colored cement wall— and a tactile one—the sudden cold that is almost overwhelming.
Paradox: the impossible made poetry
The paradox brings together opposite or contradictory ideas in a single sentence, creating an effect of astonishment and reflection. This device defies logic and forces the reader to find a deeper meaning.
Example: fragment of "Man" by Blas de Otero
This is what it means to be a man: horror by the bucketful.
To be—and not to be—eternal, fugitives.
Angel with great wings of chains!
Brief analysis of the paradox
The last verse of “Hombre” by Blas de Otero —especially the last line— is associated with paradox. How can an angel, a divine and mythological being by nature, have giant wings that turn into chains? This refers to a limit imposed on a creature that was born to be free.
Enjambment: to continue beyond the verse
Enjambment occurs when A phrase or idea does not end in the same verse, but continues in the next one.This resource breaks the traditional rhythm, creating an effect of fluidity or urgency.
Example: fragment of "Ode XII What is worth how much you see", by Friar Luis de León
As good as the knotty one
holm oak, on a high, pollarded cliff
with mighty axe
of being torn to pieces
of iron, becomes rich and hard-working…
Brief analysis of enjambment
Here, the resource It is clearly present in the words "carrasca" and "del hierro", which take their place in the back line, instead of being placed next to "roñosa" and "desplazada", respectively.
Oxymoron: the union of opposites
the oxymoron It is a figure that combines two contradictory terms, generating a new expression.
Example: "It is scorching ice, it is frozen fire...", by Francisco de Quevedo
It's burning ice, it's frozen fire
it is a wound that hurts and cannot be felt,
it is a dreamed good, a bad present,
it's a very tiring short break.
It is an oversight that gives us care,
a coward with a brave name,
a lonely walk among the people,
a love only to be loved.
It's an imprisoned freedom
lasting until the final paroxysm;
disease that grows if it is cured.
This is the child Amor, this is his abyss.
Look what friendship he will have with nothing
he who is contrary to himself in everything!
Brief analysis of the oxymoron
“It is scorching ice, it is frozen fire…”, in particular, is an oxymoron in itself. The entire poem is made up of contradictions, opposite concepts that, when united, form a different feeling in the reader.
The alchemy of words
Literary devices are the lifeblood of poetry. They are the tools with which poets build worlds, transform emotions, and invite us to explore the depths of human experience. Each device, from metaphor to enjambment, plays a specific role in creating meaning, rhythm, and atmosphere.
The richness of a poem lies not only in the words that compose it, but in how they are intertwined. and come to life through literary devices. As readers, understanding and appreciating these elements allows us to connect more deeply with the work and the authors, because poetry is ultimately a mirror of the soul.