Key Literary Devices in English Poetry: Hyperbole, Enjambment, Allusion, Simile, and Couplet

Introduction

English literature at any age has been prominent for its brilliant authors – adherents of specific literary movements or influential agents referring to solid devices. The role of literary terms is undeniable, as they were used to convey significant messages and help authors enhance the effect of their language. In this rich tapestry, each element of figurative language generates a long-lasting impression on the reader, being the author’s weapon to create a vivid snapshot of their century.

Literary Devices in English Literature

Hyperbole

One of the frequently utilized literary devices is hyperbole, which exists to exaggerate the narrator’s message. For example, the prominent figure of the Romantic period in English literature – Percy B. Shelley – wrote the poem “Ozymandias” to emphasize the decaying power of Egyptian Ramesses II. The last lines of this poem include the hyperbolic overstatement: “Round the decay / Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare, / The lone and level sands stretch far away.” (Greenblatt, lines 12-13). In this expression, Shelley exaggerates the devastation and loneliness of the Pharaoh’s ruined lands. Thus, hyperboles create dramatic effects and intensify the images.

Enjambment

In contrast, enjambment is the literary element that plays with the poem’s speed and tension. In the early seventeenth century, John Donne, in his “The Flea,” questions sexuality and seduction conventions, inviting a woman into his bed. He believes blood mixes during sex, “And in this flea our two bloods mingled be; / Thou know’st that this cannot be said / A sin, nor shame nor loss of maidenhead” (Greenblatt, lines 4-6). These lines demonstrate how enjambment contributes to continuity and increases the narrator’s sense of urgency caused by sexual temptation. Enjambment in poetry resembles individuals’ natural flow of thought and impressions when sentences are read without any pause.

Couplet

Another essential literary technique in poetry is the couplet, responsible for smooth rhyme schemes. Thomas Wyatt – the representative of the same historical period as John Donne – demonstrates couplet in his “Whose List to Hunt” to finalize the hero’s thoughts on pursuing a woman he desires. The couplet is “Noli me tangere, for Caesar’s I am, / And wild for to hold, though I seem tame” (Greenblatt, lines 13-14). This pair of consecutive rhyming lines conveys the message of the female’s pure and holy nature compared to the man’s bruteness. The couplet in this narrative is devoted to the poem’s formality while concluding the poem with a substantial impact on the reader’s sentiments.

Allusion

Allusion is a critical literary element in developing associations with different historical terms. The master of allusions and the author of modernist texts – T. S. Eliot – refers to Lazarus in his poem “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock.” The quote is: “I am Lazarus, come from the dead, / Come back to tell you all, I shall tell you all” (Greenblatt, lines 94-95). In this allusion, Lazarus is the religious figure reborn by Jesus and overcame revelation, contributing to the poem’s theme of existential crisis and self-worth. This technique is necessary to connect several texts simultaneously, resonating with the audience’s reading experience.

Simile

The final term is a simile used for comparing implicitly and creating resemblance. For instance, Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18 states: “Thou art more lovely and more temperate: / Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, / And summer’s lease hath all too short a date.” (Greenblatt, lines 2-4). The narrator compares his young, attractive lover to the summer day’s calming and sometimes turbulent nature. With memorable comparisons, this device helps readers depict the character’s eternal beauty due to the complex emotions and language of the greatest English playwright and poet.

Conclusion

To conclude, English poetry is full of vivid images, but all of them are conveyed using various literary devices, such as hyperboles, similes, or allusions. Similarly, couplets and enjambments play with the audience’s reading of the poem, so adding different rhyming techniques or leaving the lines without a break establishes immediacy and a sense of uninterruptedness, respectively. The authors discussed above represent different centuries in the English poetic anthology, and all recognize the importance of using evocative and relatable devices.

Work Cited

Greenblatt, Stephen. Norton Anthology of English Literature. 10th ed., Core Selections EBook, 2022.

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StudyCorgi. (2025, June 30). Key Literary Devices in English Poetry: Hyperbole, Enjambment, Allusion, Simile, and Couplet. https://studycorgi.com/key-literary-devices-in-english-poetry-hyperbole-enjambment-allusion-simile-and-couplet/

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"Key Literary Devices in English Poetry: Hyperbole, Enjambment, Allusion, Simile, and Couplet." StudyCorgi, 30 June 2025, studycorgi.com/key-literary-devices-in-english-poetry-hyperbole-enjambment-allusion-simile-and-couplet/.

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StudyCorgi. (2025) 'Key Literary Devices in English Poetry: Hyperbole, Enjambment, Allusion, Simile, and Couplet'. 30 June.

1. StudyCorgi. "Key Literary Devices in English Poetry: Hyperbole, Enjambment, Allusion, Simile, and Couplet." June 30, 2025. https://studycorgi.com/key-literary-devices-in-english-poetry-hyperbole-enjambment-allusion-simile-and-couplet/.


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StudyCorgi. "Key Literary Devices in English Poetry: Hyperbole, Enjambment, Allusion, Simile, and Couplet." June 30, 2025. https://studycorgi.com/key-literary-devices-in-english-poetry-hyperbole-enjambment-allusion-simile-and-couplet/.

References

StudyCorgi. 2025. "Key Literary Devices in English Poetry: Hyperbole, Enjambment, Allusion, Simile, and Couplet." June 30, 2025. https://studycorgi.com/key-literary-devices-in-english-poetry-hyperbole-enjambment-allusion-simile-and-couplet/.

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