Alliteration Definition and Examples

Introduction

Like other poetic devices, alliteration is used to denote the beauty of words in English poetry and denote the sound of repetition of the same sound or letter at the beginning of many words used in the phrase or sentence. Alliteration has been very helpful in creating a beautiful and emerging musical and rhythmic effect in writing. It can also add aesthetic appeal to a piece of literature.

Alliteration is used most commonly in poetry but is also useful in writing prose, and its immense use has been very popular for centuries. It has also helped create several historical pieces of literature, such as Beowulf and the Iliad. So, it is also used today for creating a rhythmic and flowing sense of certain words and phrases in poetry and prose writing.

Uses of Alliteration

Alliteration is a poetic device used for centuries, as discussed above. But, since its use is very difficult to understand, we have summarized it in very simple language.

• It involves the repetition of similar consonant sounds in two or more words used at neighboring places in a sentence or phrase, also known by the name syllables. Here, alliteration gives life to the voice, which can create a rhythmic effect and cause the words to sound like unity and in a musical way, making it more pleasing to our ear and easier to romanticize when writing a romantic poem.
• Another use is creating a rhythmic sense in the language. While doing so, a writer has to repeat the same sort of sound at the beginning of the sentence, which makes the language and structure of the sentence more musical, flowing, and united to create a sense of harmony and balance. For example, the line from Tennyson's poem "The Charge of the Light Brigade."

"Half a league, half a league,
Half a league onward."

In the example above, the poet has used the repetition of "h" and "I" sounds similarly to create a sense of rhythm and forward movement.

• Another use of alliteration is emphasizing certain words or ideas in a sentence. Here, the author tries to draw the reader's attention; in doing so, he has to create a repeating effect of some sound or letter, creating a sense of repetition and unity. Now, let us look at the following line from the writing of Shakespeare's "Macbeth."

"Fair is foul, and foul is fair."

In the above example, word and letter are repeated, but the letter "f" has been used to emphasize certain words or ideas in a sentence.

• Alliteration is another use to create more realistic or particular more tonous poems in the language. Let us take another example to understand it.

"And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain."

In this example, the repetition of the "s" and "r" sounds creates a sense of melancholy and foreboding, mirroring the poem's mood.

An alliteration is a powerful tool for writers and speakers to enhance their language's rhythm, emphasis, and mood. It is a versatile technique that can be used in various ways to create different effects, making it an important aspect of English.

Examples of Alliteration

In the poem "She Walks in Beauty" by poet Lord Byron, the repetition of the sound denoted by the letter "h" in the line "Heart whose love is innocent!" creates a sense of harmony and balance. In contrast, the "h" sound is soft and gentle, emphasizing the purity and innocence of the poet's love, which he is trying to convey using these paragraphs.

The use of alliteration can be seen in some of the lines of the poem "The road not taken "by Robert Frost in the lines shown below:

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel to both

Alliteration in these lines is signified boldly by the words "woods" and "travel," repeating the sound of "w," which creates a bold sense of musicality and rhythmic waves in the paragraph.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

The lines "I took the one less traveled by" under the same poem, "the road not taken," creates a sense of repetition and unity. The repetition of sound emphasizes the poet's choice to take the road less traveled and suggests that this choice has significantly impacted their life. The alliteration also creates a sense of rhythm and flow, making the language more memorable and easier to recite.

In "Annabel Lee" by Edgar Allan Poe, the repetition of the "v" and "h" sounds in the lines "With a love that the wingèd seraphs of Heaven.

But we loved with a love that was more than love-
I and my Annabel Lee-
With a love that the wingèd seraphs of Heaven
Coveted her and me.

The words " Coveted her and me" create a sense of harmony (happiness) and balance. The repetition emphasizes the speaker's love for Annabel Lee and suggests that the love is pure and eternal. The alliteration here also creates a sense of musicality and flow, making the language more poetic and memorable.

In "Kubla Khan" by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, the repetition of the "k" and "d" sounds in "In Xanadu did Kubla Khan.

In Xanadu did Kubla Khan
A stately pleasure-dome decree:
Where Alph, the sacred river, ran
Through caverns measureless to man

The paragraph's lines in "A stately pleasure-dome decree" create a sense of rhythm and flow. The repetition tries to convey the grandeur and majesty of Kubla Khan's palace and suggests it is a place of power and wealth. The alliteration also creates a sense of musicality and harmony, making the language more beautiful and poetic.

All these examples show how alliteration can be used in different ways to create different effects in poetry. Whether it is used to create a sense of rhythm and flow, emphasize certain words or ideas, or create a particular mood or tone, alliteration is a powerful tool for poets and writers to enhance the beauty and impact of language.