The Poet's Art: Assonance & Consonance - Essay Sample

Introduction

Sound devices or patterns are resources used in a poet to reinforce and convey not only the meaning of a poem, but also the experience through skillful and appropriate use. The poem has incorporated the following sound patterns.

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Assonance- a repetition of a vowel sound in the same line. Assonance is relatively close to juxtaposition, due to similarity in the vowel sound, but different end in the consonants in the passage or line as in the third line 'breeze drew'

Consonance -repetition of constants sound. Consonance brings a combination of different sounds creating an agreement with the overall tone of the poem. The poem has an appealing tone by using such words, including 'please' in the fourth line. 'there those' Consonance /t/ has been used to create a special effect in the poem. Notably, the use of consonance can be used both at the beginning and at the end. For instance, in the last line of the lasts Stanza of the poem the writer uses 'dead turned' /d/

Alliteration- repetition of a constant sound in the same line which is used in the third line 'Sweet-scented stuff. Also called the head rhyme or the initial rhyme. The sound of the alliteration creates a gratifying effect on the reader and can also play a part in connecting or emphasizing the keywords in a particular line.

Cacophony -this is the use of discordant sound effects with a jarring juxtaposition of harsh words or letters or syllables in the poem. They are inadvertently used but often and deliberately used to convey a clear meaning or mode of the poem as in the seventh line of the poem 'Snarled and rattled, snarled and rattled.' The sound is appropriate to the content, mode, and tone of the whole poem. The cacophony sound used in the poem is no doubt irritating and does not imply any aspect of positivity.

Euphony- it represents the harmony and beauty of the poem through by conveying different sounds. It provides a pleasant effect on the reader's ear. Euphony is achieved through the selection of specific wordings. Notably, the relationships between the proximity of the poem, repetitions, and the flow of sound patterns, must also be taken into consideration. For instance, the poem has incorporated vowel sound that is pleasing to the ear than the consonance. Therefore, a stanza or a line with a higher degree of vowel sound will create a more appealing tone. 'stood' in the thirteenth line seems more appealing than 'No more' in the second last line.

Onomatopoeia - the word 'buzz' is used in the first line, which has been used to imitate a natural rattling sound in the poem.

Impact of Sound on the Reader

As mentioned, sound devices are literary elements used in a prose form in a poem to convey and stress certain sounds, which creatively creates a musical effect in the poem. For instance, the use of alliteration has created a musical effect in the poem making the poem follow in a smooth pattern. Moreover, the above sounds have proved significant in making the poem emotive, vibrant, and pleasing to the reader. Besides, the poem has effectively used the sounds to create a pointed and unique effect between the lines that helps the readers to literacy piece in a deeper context. Some syllables have only been stressed to emphasize the sound effects and thus more appealing to the readers.