CHORUS: The chorus has the same melody AND the same lyric each time we hear

it. The lyrics sums up the emotional heart of the song. It’s the section that listeners
will remember and want to hear again and again. Be sure to include your title in your
chorus so listeners know what to call your song. The title is often in the first or last line,
sometimes both.

VERSE: The verses all have the same melody but different lyrics. A verse takes us
deeper into the feelings or situation that created the feelings in the chorus. Because the
chorus is repeated three or more times, you can keep it interesting by giving listeners
more information in each verse – something that reveals more about the chorus and
deepens our feelings or understanding of it.

BRIDGE: The bridge has a different melody and lyric from any other section. It often
provides a peak moment or a turning point in the song. You can use the bridge to reveal
something hidden or add a twist or just come right out and say what you feel instead of
expressing it in images.

Simile

A simile compares two things using the words “like” or “as." Similes are extremely
common in everyday language as well-known figures of speech.

 “The late afternoon sky bloomed in the window for a moment like the blue
honey of the Mediterranean.” —F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby
 “Kate inched over her own thoughts like a measuring worm.” —John
Steinbeck, East of Eden

Metaphor

Metaphors are direct comparisons between two things that, unlike similes, do not
use the words "like" or "as.” To improve your metaphor-writing skills, study
examples in everyday speech and in literature.

“The apparition of these faces in the crowd: Petals on a wet, black bough.” —
Ezra Pound, In the Station of the Metro

 "I'm cooler than a polar bear's toenails..." —Big Boi from Outkast's ATLiens

Hyperbole
Hyperbole is an exaggeration for the sake of emphasis, humor, or effect.
Hyperbole is commonly heard in everyday conversations, often when people
want to state their position without seeming too direct. When used in fiction
writing, hyperbole can be a powerful tool, allowing you to create a heightened
sense of a feeling, action, or quality.

 I'm so hungry I could eat a horse.

 I've told you a million times.
 If I hear that one more time, I'm going to die.

Personification

A writer using personification gives human qualities to something nonhuman.

Personification is an effective way to add interest to your writing and can truly
bring your descriptions to life. The last of these examples is one of the most
famous uses of personification in literature.

 "I stared at it in the swinging light of the subway car, and in the faces and
bodies of the people, and in my own face, trapped in the darkness which
roared outside." —James Baldwin, Sonny’s Blues
 “These are the lips of the lake, on which no beard grows. It licks its chops
from time to time.” —Henry David Thoreau, Walden
 “April is the cruelest month.” —T.S. Eliot, The Waste Land