Onomatopoeia Examples and Activities

Here, you’ll find ReadingVine’s resources focusing on onomatopoeia examples and activities!

What is onomatopoeia?

Onomatopoeia is a figurative language technique where a writer uses words that model or name a sound.

These words can include “buzz” “clang” “chop” “zip” and “boom.” Looking for a more comprehensive list? Be sure to check out our resources on onomatopoeia, their effect on writing, our onomatopoeia anchor chart, and how to use them in comics and more.

In poetry, onomatopoeia can add a vivid rhythm, surprise, and detail to make that poem more engaging.

Onomatopoeia Examples and Activities

Onomatopoeia helps readers add more animation to their poems. By repeating these words, poets can also emphasize a certain event or sound and support a certain mood. Let’s see how it looks in different works of poetry. (As you’ll see, onomatopoeia in poetry adds a lot of life!)

In Edgar Allan Poe’s famous poem, “The Raven,” he uses the repetition of onomatopoeia to create a spooky mood for readers. Here is an excerpt from that poem:

“While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
‘Tis some visitor,’ I muttered, ‘tapping at my chamber door—
Only this and nothing more.’”

The repetition of the word “tapping” and “rapping” replicates the experience of someone knocking on a door. Beyond the words themselves, the pronunciation of the words also creates an interesting sound effect. Onomatopoeia works especially effectively when it is repeated!

Charlie XCX performs a song called, “Boom, Clap,” which uses onomatopoeia to signify the sound of a heartbeat. In the song’s lyrics, she sings:

“Boom, clap, the sound of my heart
The beat goes on and on and on and on and
Boom, clap, you make me feel good…”

Similarly, Judy Garland sang “The Trolley Song” in the 1940s and this, too, references the sound of a heartbeat. That song includes a lot of onomatopoeia. Here are a few verses from that song:

“Clang, clang, clang went the trolley
Ding, ding, ding went the bell
Zing, zing, zing went my heartstrings
From the moment I saw him I fell
Chug, chug, chug went the motor
Bump, bump, bump went the brake
Thump, thump, thump went my heartstrings…”

Onomatopoeia is a great way to add rhythm, sound, and fun to any poem. Choosing the correct onomatopoeia for a poem often depends on a consideration of the poems’ intended effect.

These words should be considered in terms of placement and use in order to make the most effective impact on the audience or reader. Looking for additional resources on onomatopoeia? Don’t forget to check out our printable onomatopoeia examples and activities found below!