English (Core) · Ch 5 — The Laburnum Top
Poetic Devices
Poetic Devices
Simile
A simile compares two things using as or like. Hughes writes that the goldfinch is "sleek as a lizard", comparing her smooth, quick, alert movements to those of a lizard. Later her sounds are called "eerie delicate whistle-chirrup whisperings", building a vivid picture through comparison-like description.
Metaphor
The bird's sudden activity in the tree is described as "a machine starts up" and "It is the engine of her family" — the goldfinch and her feeding of her young are compared directly to a machine/engine without using like or as. The metaphor captures the burst of mechanical energy, noise and vibration her arrival creates.
Onomatopoeia
Words whose sound imitates their meaning fill the poem: "chirrup", "chitterings", "trillings" and "whisperings". These sound-words let the reader actually hear the twittering, trilling activity of the goldfinch and her chicks.
Alliteration
The repetition of a beginning consonant sound occurs in "trembles and thrills" (the tr sound) and "whistle-chirrup whisperings" (the w sound), which add music and rhythm to the lines.
Personification
The tree is given human-like feeling when it "trembles and thrills", as if it can feel excitement. The goldfinch is referred to as "She", giving the bird a personal, motherly identity.