Lena Torres
Sound devices are literary techniques that poets use to describe how words sound in a poem. They are also known as musical devices. Sound devices are an important aspect of poetry as they enhance the meaning of a poem, make it memorable, and enrich the rhythm and musicality of the poem. Poets use sound devices to appeal to the reader's sense of hearing. These devices can be used intentionally or occur naturally. Some common sound devices include rhyme, rhythm, alliteration, consonance, dissonance, onomatopoeia, and repetition. While not all poems use sound devices, they are a powerful tool for poets to create a specific atmosphere and enhance the reader's experience.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Purpose | To improve or emphasize the sound in a piece of writing |
| Types | Rhyme, rhythm, alliteration, consonance, dissonance, euphony, cacophony, onomatopoeia, repetition, assonance, allusion, meter, internal rhyme, and more |
| Effect | Enhance the meaning of a poem, make it easy to memorize, fun, pleasant to the ear, enrich the rhythm and musicality of the poem |
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What You'll Learn
Rhyme and internal rhyming
Rhyme is a literary device that describes how words sound in a poem. It is a sound or musical device that exemplifies the difference between prose and poetic language. Rhyme is the repetition of words with the same sound in a poem. The pattern of similarly pronounced words in a poem is known as a rhyme scheme. The popular position of rhyming words is often at the end of lines, where the last word of a line rhymes with the last word of another line in the poem.
Rhyme is used to appeal to the sense of hearing. It enhances the meaning of a poem and makes it easy to memorize. Rhyme can also be used to control the poem's mood.
However, contemporary poetry largely looks down upon strict rhyme schemes, and poets are far more likely to use internal rhyming than end rhyming. Internal rhyme, also known as middle rhyme, is when two rhyming words are juxtaposed inside a line, rather than at the end of the line. It is a more subtle form of rhyme that can increase the aesthetic quality of a poem without making it sound too "rhyme-y".
Internal rhyme can occur within a single line of poetry, or it can be spread across multiple lines. It can be used to increase the sense of rhythm in a poem, making it more pleasant to listen to and easier to understand and memorise. It can also be used to make language sound more thoughtfully composed and beautiful, like music.
Internal rhyme is commonly used in song lyrics, where it is usually employed in conjunction with end rhyme to increase the number of rhymes delivered in a single line. This makes songs easier to remember. For example, in Bob Dylan's "Subterranean Homesick Blues", we can see the use of internal rhyme:
> "Ah get born, keep warm
> Short pants, romance, learn to dance
> Get dressed, get blessed..."
Internal rhyme was also a trademark of 19th-century English poet Gerard Manley Hopkins, as seen in his poem "God's Grandeur":
> "Why do men then now not reck his rod?
> Generations have trod, have trod, have trod;
> And all is seared with trade; bleared, smeared with toil;
> And wears man's smudge and shares man's smell: the soil
> Is bare now, nor can foot feel, being shod."
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Alliteration and consonance
Sound devices are literary techniques that describe how words sound in a poem. They are also known as musical devices. Poets use sound devices to appeal to the sense of hearing. Poetic sound devices differentiate prose from poetic language. They enhance the meaning of a poem and make it easy to memorise. They are fun, pleasant to the ear, and enrich the rhythm and musicality of the poem.
Alliteration, assonance, and consonance are vivid ways to help readers experience poetry in an auditory way. Using these three devices makes a poem more resonant and enjoyable. Alliteration, assonance, and consonance are all poetic sound devices. They use repetition to create sounds and set the mood within a poem. These sounds can be pleasing if the poet wants the reader to feel relaxed, abrasive if the reader should feel tense, or any other mood.
Alliteration is a powerful, albeit subtle, means of controlling the poem’s mood. One of the more defining sound devices in poetry, alliteration refers to the succession of words with similar sounds. It involves the first consonant sound in multiple words, while consonance can appear anywhere in the word (typically at the end). The sound devices occur in quick succession, usually within several words in a row or in a line. Alliteration is the easiest sound device to identify in a poem. Because it involves the first letter or blended sound in two or more words, readers can track this repetition quite easily. Some basic examples of alliteration are:
> Roy ran in the raging rain.
> I slipped slyly into the slow, slippery sled.
> Her brown braid brushed the bridge of her brow.
> “Wait,” whispered Wendy, her gaze wandering wistfully.
Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds close to each other within a line in a poem. The sounds are repetitive whether in the middle or at the end of words, not to be confused with alliteration. Consonant sounds like k, c, g, b, and t create cacophony when they occur closely and are used to present negative situations.
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Euphony and cacophony
The use of sound devices is one of the most prominent differences between prose and poetic language. Poets use sound devices to appeal to the sense of hearing, enhance the meaning of a poem, and make it easier to memorise.
Cacophony, on the other hand, is harsh and discordant. It is created by the use of explosive consonants in close succession, such as k, p, t, and g. These consonants "pop" or have a "release" when pronounced, like a tiny explosion. Cacophony can also be created by combinations of words that require a staccato, explosive delivery. It is often used in dramatic poetry for emphasis and to evoke unpleasant feelings such as annoyance and rage. Cacophony can make a poem more memorable because the harsh sounds make the poem forceful. An example of cacophony can be found in Samuel Taylor Coleridge's "Rime of the Ancient Mariner": "With throats unslaked, with black lips baked, agape they heard me call".
Poems can be euphonic, cacophonic, or a combination of both. For example, Allen Ginsberg's "Howl" begins euphoniously with long, rhythmic lines that match the "jazzy" content. However, the second part of the poem becomes more cacophonous, with harsh-sounding words like "Moloch!" and explosive consonants.
Other sound devices used in poetry include rhyme, alliteration, assonance, consonance, dissonance, and onomatopoeia. These devices can be used to enhance the poem's rhythm, mood, and musicality, and to make the poem more entertaining and enjoyable for the reader.
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Rhythm and meter
Meter, on the other hand, refers to the rhythmic structure of a poem, encompassing both the rhythm and the length of a line. It is the scaffolding of sound that shapes the poem's architecture. The meter of a poem is composed of two structures: rhythm and length. The length of a line in poetry is often measured in 'feet', with each foot containing a certain number of syllables. The most common foot in English poetry is the iamb, which consists of an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable. Other types of feet include the anapest (two unstressed syllables followed by a stressed syllable), the trochee (a stressed syllable followed by an unstressed syllable), and the dactyl (a stressed syllable followed by two unstressed syllables).
The combination of rhythm and meter in poetry can have a profound impact on the reader. By manipulating the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables, poets can create subtle or profound effects that enhance the meaning and emotion conveyed by the poem. While some forms of poetry require a specific meter, such as the Italian or Elizabethan Sonnet, which use iambic pentameter, other poems may have a more flexible meter or even free verse with no set meter.
It is worth noting that the use of rhythm and meter in poetry varies across different languages. For example, French poetry often employs Alexandrian lines, which are structured with half-lines and heavy emphasis on specific syllables. In contrast, Arabic-language poetry defines meter by the pattern of vowels and consonants and the lengths of those vowels (short, medium, and long).
Ultimately, while not all poems adhere to a strict metrical pattern, rhythm and meter play a crucial role in shaping the overall structure, sound, and emotional impact of a poem.
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Assonance and dissonance
Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in a line of text. For example, in Edgar Allen Poe's "The Raven", the words "dreary", "weary", and "weak" all share the same vowel sound. Assonance can be used to keep the poem moving and reflect the speaker's emotions.
Dissonance, on the other hand, is the deliberate use of inharmonious words, phrases, or syllables to create harsh-sounding effects. It is the opposite of assonance and is similar to cacophony, which refers to the use of harsh, unmelodious sounds. Dissonance can be created through the choice of rhythm and words, such as using irregular rhythms or disrupting the flow of a poem by changing the rhyme scheme. For instance, in Robert Frost's "Acquainted with the Night", the words "walked out" and "out walked" create dissonance through the clash of vowel sounds.
Both assonance and dissonance can be used effectively together to establish harmony and make the dissonant sections more noticeable. For example, in Gerard Manley Hopkins's "Carrion Comfort", the poem contains instances of rhyme and assonance, but the variable unstressed syllables create a sense of discomfort.
Poets may use dissonance to inject discomfort or tension into a text, especially when depicting inner turmoil or uncomfortable situations. By denying the reader harmony, dissonance can create powerful moments and evoke strong emotions.
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Frequently asked questions
No, not all poems have sound devices. However, sound devices are one of the defining characteristics of poetry, differentiating it from prose.
Sound devices are literary techniques that describe how words sound in a poem. They are also known as musical devices. Sound devices include the use of rhyme, rhythm, and repetition, as well as other techniques like alliteration, assonance, consonance, and onomatopoeia.
Poets use sound devices to enhance the meaning of a poem, create a specific atmosphere, and appeal to the sense of hearing. Sound devices can also make a poem easier to memorize and more enjoyable to read or listen to.
One well-known example of sound devices in poetry is Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven," which makes use of internal rhyme, alliteration, and assonance. Another example is Lewis Carroll's "Jabberwocky," which uses cacophony to create a jarring and unpleasant effect.
