Poetic devices - let's dance

As we've noted previously, poetry has a way of speaking to us; but what makes a poem? First of all it cries out to be read aloud, though I read that most poetry is read silently these days. What a shame. Maybe we should commit more poetry to memory and then dance or sing to its music!

A little research this evening has yielded a long list of poetical forms (too many to list here but including limerick, haiku, sonnet etc) and 6 poetic "sound" devices. The latter are lots of fun and are as follows:

1. alliteration
2. assonance
3. repetition
4. rhythm and meter
5. rhyme
6. onomatopoeia

I wonder how many of the poems in our current study ("Ideas on Wings") use all six of these devices? 

I've turned to "Forever Active" by Peter Henniker-Heaton and I can see he's used rhyme - noon/soon, declining/resigning. I also detect some alliteration - faculties/functions. And there seems to be a pleasing rhythm and meter. No onomatopoeia that I can hear, and I'm not sure about the assonance aspect. Does anyone else recognize assonance here? Or in another poem?

All I know is that the poem appeals to me beyond the actual words and their impact. It has a charming lilt and lift that pushes me on to the next line. Its pace matches the substance of the message of un-declining activity . It satisfies the soul.

Thank you Peter Henniker-Heaton.

Julie Swannell