Onomatopoeia

Examples

‘The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain’ (from My Fair Lady) Take the gun and have fun Try as I might, the kite did not fly

AI The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain

ITake the gun and have fun Try as I might, the kite did not fly What is onomatopoeia?

Onomatopoeia is when a word sounds like what it describes. Etymology

The word ‘onomatopoeia’ comes from Greek and means ‘name-making’. Examples

‘How they clang, and clash and roar!’ (from ‘The Bells’ by

Edgar Allen Poe) ‘Small feet were pattering, wooden shoes clattering’ (from ‘The Pied Piper of Hamelin’ by Robert Browning)

‘Water plops into pond Splish-splash downhill’ (from ‘Running Water’ by Lee Emmett ) How they clang, and clash and roar! Small feet were pattering, wooden shoes clattering Water plops into pond, Splish-splash downhill U ©The Educational Company of Ireland

READING

Look at the poem below, which makes good use of alliteration, assonance and onomatopoeia. Then answer the questions that follow.

‘My Puppy Punched Me In the Eye’ by Kenn Nesbitt

My puppy punched me in the eye. My rabbit whacked my ear. My ferret gave a frightful cry and roundhouse kicked my rear. My lizard flipped me upside down. My kitten kicked my head. My hamster slammed me to the ground and left me nearly dead. So my advice? Avoid regrets; no matter what you do, don’t ever let your family pets take lessons in kung fu. 1 Pick out and list all of the examples of alliteration in this poem. 2 Pick out and list all of the examples of assonance in this poem. 3 Pick out and list all of the examples of onomatopoeia in this poem. 4 Go to page 58 of your activity book and complete the task to increase your understanding of alliteration, assonance and onomatopoeia. ACT IVITY ©The Educational Company of Ireland

WRITING: ONOMATOPOEIA

Below is an extract from an onomatopoeia poem you may be familiar with from primary school. This poem appeals to a reader’s sense of sound.

From ‘On the Ning Nang Nong’ by Spike Milligan

So it’s Ning Nang Nong Cows go Bong! Nong Nang Ning

Trees go ping! Nong Ning Nang The mice go Clang! Inspired by this poem, write your own five-line onomatopoeia poem that uses words that imitate sounds and that is a pleasure to read out loud. Writing Tips Choose a topic for your poem (make sure the topic is rich in sound). List the sounds associated with your chosen topic and pick out the ones that are onomatopoeic. Here are some suggestions to help you: Machine noises: honk, beep, vroom, clang, zap, boing Animal names: cuckoo, whip-poor-will, whooping crane, chickadee Impact sounds: boom, crash, whack, thump, bang Voice sounds: giggle, growl, whine, murmur, blurt, whisper, hiss Nature sounds: splash, drip, spray, whoosh, buzz, rustle. WRITING: ALLITERATION Write out the numbers one to five at the start of each line. Each word that follows in the line must begin with the same letter as the first letter of the number. Each number must be followed by an adjective, then a noun, then a verb, then a noun. Here is an example about animals: One over-anxious ox opening oranges Two timid tortoises taking torches Three thriving tarantulas tasting tea Four fierce fish fighting for freedom Five fearless flamingos following feathers Below are some suggested topics, or you can choose your own. in the library in the supermarket under the floorboards in the ocean under my bed in the haunted house©The Educational Company of Ireland