Alliteration
If you want to explore how a writer is using the different forms of alliteration in a text or a poem, you should use the correct term to identify the individual sounds that are being used.
Alliteration
Individual sounds in English are called phonemes. When we discuss phonemes, we write them inside these: // For example, /a/. This is to show that it is the sound we are focusing on and not the name of the letter. As you analyse the use of sounds in a text or a poem, try to identify the phonemes that the writer is using. To do this effectively, you must think about the sound that is being created rather than the name of the letter being used.
The silence ceases as the sea sneaks its way up the shore.
In the sentence above, the writer is alliterating the phoneme /s/ across the words of the sentence, creating the sound of the waves. Notice that the phoneme /s/ is being represented by the letter ‘s' in the words ‘sea' and ‘sneaks', but also by the letter ‘c' in the words ‘ceases' and ‘silence'. The names of the letters are different, but the phoneme /s/ is the same.
Any phonemes can be alliterated in a text or poem, so you have to analyse the effects of the alliteration you find according to their context. However, there are some types of alliteration that are commonly used and knowing about these can help you in your analysis.
Sibilance
Sibilance is created in a text or a poem through the alliteration of sibilant phonemes. These phonemes are the sounds that we make using friction in our vocal system. The sibilant phonemes are /s/, /z/, /sh/ and /ch/.
These sibilant phonemes are often used to create or echo sounds such as the movement of water or the sound of the wind. They can also be used to recreate the sounds of breathing, the flow of time or the flow of sand. As you can see below, the sibilance created by the phonemes /s/ and /sh/ is used to create the sound of the sea and the waves. The layer of sensory experience added to the scene by the sibilance, allows the reader to not only imagine what the scene looks like but also how it sounds, making the scene much more vivid.
The silence ceases as the sea sneaks its way up the shore.
Consonance
Consonance is created in a text or a poem when the writer chooses to alliterate consonant sounds across a series of words. Any consonant can be alliterated in a text and so it is up to you to analyse why the writer has chosen to use the consonance they have created. You need to focus attention on the sound created in the text or poem and link this sound to a sensory experience or a mood.
The most common form of consonance is created through the alliteration of plosive phonemes. These phonemes are formed in the vocal system by stopping the air and then releasing it which creates a small explosion of sound. The plosive consonants are /p/, /b/, /k/, /g/, /t/, /d/.
When these plosive phonemes are alliterated, there is often a harsh, loud or intrusive noise created. This noise can either signal the sensory experience of actual loud noises in the scene which can be called a cacophony, or they can signal intense or extreme emotions.
The lock stuck quickly - they were ambushed, trapped, captured.
Above is an example of the alliteration of plosive phonemes creating consonance in the text. This consonance reflects the intense feelings of the characters in the scene.
The truck full of unlucky ducks careened into the aqueduct.
Above is an example of the alliteration plosive phonemes that create cacophonic consonance in the scene. The reader is encouraged to both imagine the scene but also hear the cacophonic noise created by the terrified ducks. This layer of sensory experience makes the scene more vibrant and vivid for the reader.
Assonance
Assonance is created in a text or a poem when the writer chooses to alliterate vowel sounds across a series of words. Vowels are assonant phonemes because there is no stop of the air in the vocal system. This means that assonance is often used to create gentle and peaceful sounds of calm and joyful moods in a text or a poem. However, this is not always the purpose of the assonance, so you need to focus attention on the assonant sound created in the text or poem and link this sound to a sensory experience or a mood.
The green field gleams in the warm sunbeams - The assonance creates peace.
A dismayed baby wailed nearly all day - The assonance creates the cries of the baby.
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