Elements of poetry / poetry devices - SS1 Literature Past Questions and Answers - page 1

The special syntax of poetry used in the line "Africa, my angel mother,

I will carry your sunshine in my heart" is inversion. Inversion is a figure of speech in which the normal order of words in a sentence is reversed. In this case, the poet has inverted the order of the words "Africa" and "my angel mother" to create a more poetic effect.

The poetic device used in the line "Harmattan wind, you are a sharp knife,

Cutting through my flesh" is metaphor. A metaphor is a figure of speech in which one thing is directly compared to another without using the words "like" or "as." In this case, the poet is comparing the harmattan wind to a sharp knife.

The personification device used in the line "Rain, come and make the flowers bloom" is apostrophe. Apostrophe is a figure of speech in which the speaker addresses a person who is absent or dead, or an inanimate object as if it were alive.