Sound Devices in Poetry 1. Alliteration is the repetition of the same first sound in a group of words. It is used to bring attention to the words or idea or to create a musical effect. Ex. The sun sank slowly. If too much alliteration is used, we get a ridiculous sound, as in a tongue twister. If tongue twisters are used in your writing, all effectiveness is lost because they are overdone. 2. Assonance is a similar technique. However, instead of having the same beginning consonant sounds, assonance is all about vowel sounds. So you might see the short A sound in a sentence, or perhaps the O sound. For example: Ex. Poetry is old, ancient, goes back far. It is among the oldest of living things. So old it is that no man knows how and why the first poems came. Assonance examples are sometimes hard to find, because they work subconsciously, and are subtle. In general, the long vowel sounds will slow down the energy and make the mood more somber, while short vowel sounds can increase the energy level of the piece and lighten the mood. 3. Onomatopoeia: This is a word that is spelled and pronounced to imitate the sound it represents. Boom, cackle, sizzle, pop etc. 4. Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in the middle or ends of the word. You need to be able to figure out whether the repetition of a sound is deliberate or not, and if so, why it s being used. For example: Ralegh has backed the maid to a tree As Ireland is backed to England And drives inland Till all her strands are breathless." * These lines have been taken from the poem 'Ocean's Love to Ireland' by Seamus Heaney. Here, the poet has used consonants like 'b' and 'd'. The hard d emphasizes the violence of the piece. 5. Half rhyme (also called slant rhyme, near-rhyme or imperfect rhyme) This is what it sounds like words that don t technically rhyme, but can almost pass off as a rhyme. For example: I sat and looked back at the passing of time, Scarcely believing the life that ended was mine
6. Internal rhyme: Internal rhyme is when there is normal rhyme, but the rhyming words are NOT located at the end of the line as per usual. There are three types of internal rhymes: Two or more rhyming words occur within the same line Two or more rhyming words will appear in the middle of two separate lines or sometimes in more A word at the end of a line rhymes with one or more in the middle of the following line Here are some examples of rhyme in the same line (this is the most common type of internal rhyme ) I went to town to buy a gown. / I took the car and it wasn t far. I had a cat who wore a hat. / He looked cool but felt the fool. I lost my dog in the midst of fog. / He found his way home, he doesn't like to roam 7. Cacaphony: This is a variety of harsh, discordant sounds that mix to create a generally hard and unpleasant sound. Often cacophony is created by using a combination of other sound devices such as alliteration and onomatopoeia. 8. Rhyme and meter are also used very frequently, and are probably the most powerful sound devices. But we are going to study them later! What is important about sound devices in poetry is this: Certain sounds (ex: s, ph, f,) seem to create a softer or more gentle mood. Other harder sounds (k, p, d, t) seem to create a more angry or harsher tone. Sounds, whether you recognize it or not, affect MOOD! IF a poem has many soft, rhyming sounds, it creates almost a lulling effect you will feel calm. If it has harsh sounds, it will jar you and your ear will (if you re paying attention) wonder why the poem upset you, or perhaps why you didn t like it. Sounds also affect tone! The author will choose sounds that represent how he/she is feeling about their topic. PAY ATTENTION TO THIS! Sometimes, sounds will be symbolic. So, an author will use short, hard sounding words to represent something like winter (since winter is brittle, crispy and cold!) Summer will be represented with longer, warmer sounds to represent the heat and to represent the laziness that can come with summer! Sound devices are used deliberately don t kid yourself! Poets are smart!
Cacophony Practice Circle the examples of cacophonous diction in John Updike s Piano Player (1954). My stick fingers click with a snicker And, chuckling, they knuckle the keys; Light footed, my steel feelers flicker And pluck from these keys melodies. My paper can caper; abandon Is broadcast by dint of my din, And no man or band has a hand in The tones I turn on from within. At times I'm a jumble of rumbles, At others I'm light like the moon, But never my numb plunker fumbles, Misstrums me, or tries a new tune. Explain how you made the assessment of which words were cacophonous.
God's World O world, I cannot hold thee close enough! Thy winds, thy wide grey skies! Thy mists, that roll and rise! Thy woods, this autumn day, that ache and sag And all but cry with colour! That gaunt crag To crush! To lift the lean of that black bluff! World, World, I cannot get thee close enough! Long have I known a glory in it all, But never knew I this; Here such a passion is As stretcheth me apart, -- Lord, I do fear Thou'st made the world too beautiful this year; My soul is all but out of me, -- let fall No burning leaf; prithee, let no bird call. Using this poem, find examples of assonance, consonance and alliteration. Create a legend and highlight each sound device with a different colour. My legend is: Read the poem aloud. Does the poem sound peaceful or upsetting? Which device, alliteration, assonance or consonance, is used most often? Give one example of the poet using this device. What letters are repeated most in the examples of alliteration?
The line O world, I cannot hold these close enough uses assonance. What vowel sound is repeated? What human emotion could this vowel sound represent and why/how? What season does the poet refer to? How does the author feel about autumn? How do you know? Give a quote to indicate that the author does, in fact, feel this way.
SPRING To what purpose, April, do you return again? Beauty is not enough. You can no longer quiet me with the redness Of little leaves opening stickily. I know what I know. The sun is hot on my neck as I observe The spikes of the crocus. The smell of the earth is good. It is apparent that there is no death. But what does that signify? Not only underground are the brains of men Eaten by maggots. Life in itself Is nothing, An empty cup, a flight of uncarpeted stairs. It is not enough that yearly, down this hill, April Comes like an idiot, babbling and strewing flowers. How does the author feel about spring? Why does the poet feel this way? I am looking for the DEEPER meaning here, so think about it! Highlight all the hard sounds in this poem (hard g, p, q, t, d etc) What do you notice about the frequency of these sounds? How/why might the author be using these sounds to emphasize her point? In other words, how do these sounds help us understand how she is feeling?
Think about the word crocus The crocus is a beautiful flower, so it s appearance is not the issue. So, why wouldn t the author use the flower tulip or daffodil instead? Find a quote from the poem that you feel best illustrates the author s attitude/tone towards spring. An empty cup, a flight of uncarpeted stairs. Is an example of a literary device we studied already this year. What is it? Be specific. Why would the author be using this literary device? What do the two things she is comparing have in common? What SOUND is repeated in this line? (Stated above) Is it a hard sound or a soft sound? Why is this significant? This literary device clearly explains the author s message. What IS the author s message?
Eldorado by E.A Poe Gaily bedight, A gallant knight, In sunshine and in shadow, Had journeyed long, Singing a song, In search of Eldorado. But he grew old This knight so bold And o'er his heart a shadow Fell as he found No spot of ground That looked like Eldorado. And, as his strength Failed him at length, He met a pilgrim shadow "Shadow," said he, "Where can it be This land of Eldorado?" "Over the Mountains Of the Moon, Down the Valley of the Shadow, Ride, boldly ride," The shade replied "If you seek for Eldorado Go through the poem. Highlight all the short vowel sounds one color. Highlight the long vowel sounds with a different color. Legend: What vowel sound (A, E, I, O, U) is repeated most often? Include whether it is the short or long sound of that particular vowel.
Look back over your information sheet. In general, what do long vowel sounds do to a poem? What do short vowel sounds tend to do? Which vowel sounds (short or long) does he use more often? List four examples. How would you explain the energy of this poem? Does it seem to be upbeat and happy, or slow and mournful? How might the vowel sounds in this piece help create that mood? Does this poem make the MOST use of assonance, consonance or alliteration? List one example of that sound device being used.