ALLITERATION &

ASSONANCE

WHAT IS ALLITERATION?
The repetition of beginning sounds.
A stylistic device in which a number
of words, having the same first
consonant sound, occur close
together in a series.

From Samuel Taylor

Coleridge's
"The Rime of the Ancient
Mariner".
"The Fair breeze blew,
the white foam flew,
the furrow followed free;
We were the first that ever
burst
Into that silent sea.

EXAMPLES

Come
the softer
side of sears.
Fromsee
James
Joyce's
"The

Dead
Good men are gruff and grumpy,
cranky, crabbed and cross.

"His soulBob
swooned
slowly as he
began bathing
heard the snow falling faintly
Sal universe
sewed socks and
through the
faintly falling,
like
the descent
Sally sells
seashells
of their last end, upon all living
Water wondered where Winnie
and the dead."was
Blue baby bonnets
Coca-Cola

WHAT IS ASSONANCE?
The repetition of vowel sounds in
words that are close together
Takes place when two or more words
close to one another repeat the same
vowel sound but start with different
sounds. It is identical in sound between
internal vowels in neighboring words.

For the rare and radiant maiden

whom
the angels
named Lenore.
It beats...
as it sweeps...
as it
(Poe)
cleans!
Therefore all seasons shall be
Uncertain
rustling
of each
sweet to thee.
(Coleridge)

EXAMPLES
From what I've tasted of desire, I
purple curtain. (Poe)

hold
withfire
those
fire.
We light
onwho
the favor
mountain.
(Frost)

IOr
feel
depressed
hear
old Tritonand
blowrestless.
his
wreathed horn. ( Wordsworth)

Johnny went here and there

A
heart
no bigger than orange
and
everywhere.
seed as ceased to beat.

ASSONANCE AND ALLITERATION

Both deals with repetition of sounds of two
words that are close together.
The difference between them is that
alliteration is the complementary use of
identical consonants at the beginning of
words, where assonance is the use of
complementary identical vowel sounds
within a word..