Alliteration

How A Poem Sounds

Hundreds of years ago, before people wrote down poems in books, they were recited or performed. Therefore, how a poem sounds has always been very important. There are a number of language techniques a poet can use to make their poem sound good, such as alliteration, assonance and onomatopoeia.

What is alliteration?

Alliteration is repeating the same letter or sound at the beginning of closely connected words. Etymology

The word ‘alliteration’ comes from Latin and means ‘to add on a letter’. Examples

She sells sea shells on the sea shore ‘From forth the fatal loins of these two foes…’ (from Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare)

While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping…’ (from ‘The Raven’ by Edgar Allen Poe) She sells sea shells on the sea shore From forth the fatal loins of these two foes… While I nodded, nearly napping… F N What is assonance? Assonance is repeating similar vowel sounds in a series of words or phrases. Etymology The word ‘assonance’ comes from French and means ‘to respond to sound’. S ©The Educational Company of Ireland