Sound Devices in Poetry

The repetition of initial (first) letters or sounds in word groups..

• Consonance

• Alliteration

• Assonance

• Onomatopoeia

Alliteration: same sound at the beginning of consecutive words

Which example fits this description?

• "The cat sat on the mat."

• "The sun was shining bright in the sky."

• "She sells seashells by the seashore."

• "The wind howled through the night."

Guttural alliteration: repetition of sounds that are produced in the back of the mouth, such as "g," "k," and "ch."

• "The sun was shining bright in the sky."

• "The cat sat on the mat."

• "The flower was delicate and dainty."

• "The clanging chains created chaos."

What is the effect of guttural alliteration?

• It emphasizes the gentle and delicate nature of the poem.

• It creates a sense of calm and serenity.

• It suggests a playful and light-hearted tone

• It creates a harsh and aggressive sound.

Sibilance: making a "s", "z" or "sh" sound.

Choose the best example of this.

• And let us once again assail your ears,

• The gnarled roots of the tree twisted and turned

• The candles flickered and danced in the dark.

• Discordant notes of the piano grated on the ears

Plosives: the plosive consonants in English are B, P, T and D.

Which examples fit this description?

• The big black bear bit the blue ball.

• Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.

• Tom tossed the tennis ball to Dave.

• Debbie did a dance to the drums.

Onomatopoeia: words that sounds like the thing they are

• "The baby cooed and gurgled in her crib."

• "The wind whispered through the trees."

• "The river flowed silently through the valley."

• "The rabbit hopped quickly across the field."

The repetition of inner or end consonant sounds in word groups, without a similar correspondence of vowel sounds...

• Consonance

• Alliteration

• Assonance

• Onomatopoeia

Consonance: repeated consonant sounds with different vowel sounds

• "The boat floated slowly down the river."

• "The red rabbit ran rapidly round the road."

• "The child smiled and skipped down the path."

• "The book was heavy, but he carried it with care."

The similarity or repetition of similar vowel sounds in word groups...

• Consonace

• Alliteration

• Assonance

• Onomatopoeia