Alliteration Allusion

Alliteration is the repetition of the beginning sound of two or more nearby words. Usually, this is a consonant sound. Consonants are all the letters except A, E, I, O, U and sometimes Y. For example, "Leticia loves libraries."

Read the following excerpt of "The New Colossus" by Emma Lazarus.

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame

With conquering limbs astride from land to land;

Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand

A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame

Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name

Mother of Exiles.

Which detail from the excerpt contains alliteration?

• "sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand"

• "conquering limbs astride"

• "Not like the brazen

Alliteration is the repetition of sounds, not letter, so words can start with different letters and still be alliterative. In the example above, "generous" and "jackrabbit" begin with different letters. But in this case, the "g" and "j" made the same sound.

Read the passage below.

Noah ran outside to check the mail. When he saw there was a package for him, he clapped happily. He knew it was the kite his uncle had promised to send him, and he could barely wait to race away and fly it. Noah went inside and slowly placed the present on his bed, understanding that he couldn't be careless with this kite!

Which detail from the passage contains alliteration?

• "clapped happily"

• "couldn't be careless with this knife

• "knew it was the kite"

Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds inside of words that are close together. The vowels are A, E, I, O, U and sometimes Y. "The fat cat smacked the rattle" contains assonance. The "a" sound is repeated.

Read the following excerpt from "Afternoon on a Hill" by Edna St. Vincent Millay.

I will be the gladdest thing

Under the sun!

I will touch a hundred flowers.

And not pick one.

I will look at cliffs and clouds

With quiet eyes,

Watch the wind bow down the grass,

And the grass rise.

Which detail from the excerpt contains assonance?

• "I will be the gladdest"

• "cliffs and clouds"

• "Under the sun"

You'll often find alliteration and assonance in poetry and song lyrics. They can make writing more interesting and fun to read. You'll also find alliteration in advertisements, names of companies and news headlines. The repetition of sounds draws your attention to certain words and makes them easier to remember.

How could the following sentence be rewritten to include alliteration?

The good-looking bird had lots of nice memories.

• The handsome hawk had hundreds of happy memories

• The good-looking woodpecker had lots of nice memories.

• The gorgeous stork had scores of enjoyable memories.

Alliteration and assonance can create images in your mind. They bring text life. The repetition of the "cr" sound in "the crocodile is craving a crunchy critter" helps you imagine the crocodile eating its prey.

Alliteration and assonance can also create rhythm and a mood in text. Rhythm is the beat created by the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables. Mood is the feeling the reader gets from a text. The repetition of the "i" sound in "if you swim with him, your limbs will be his dinner" can make the reader feel scared or nervous.

How could the following sentence be rewritten to include assonance?

The boat moved on the water.

• The boat bobbed briskly by the bay.

• The ship sailed slowly on the sea

• The boat floated slowly over the ocean,