Musical Devices in Musical Devices in PoetryPoetry

What makes poetry musical?What makes poetry musical?

1.1. RhymeRhyme2.2. AlliterationAlliteration3.3. ConsonanceConsonance4.4. AssonanceAssonance5.5. OnomatopoeiaOnomatopoeia6.6. RefrainRefrain

What is Rhyme?What is Rhyme?The Repetition of The Repetition of accented vowel sounds accented vowel sounds and all succeeding and all succeeding sounds that appear close sounds that appear close togethertogether

An ExampleAn ExampleCome with the rain, O loud Southwester!Come with the rain, O loud Southwester!

Bring the singer, bring the nester;Bring the singer, bring the nester;

Give the buried flower a dream;Give the buried flower a dream;

Make the settled snowbank steamMake the settled snowbank steam

-From -From To the Thawing WindTo the Thawing Wind

By Robert FrostBy Robert Frost

3 Types of Rhyme3 Types of Rhyme

1.1.End RhymeEnd Rhyme

2.2. Internal RhymeInternal Rhyme

3.3.Approximate Rhyme Approximate Rhyme (also called slant)(also called slant)

End RhymeEnd RhymeThe most common form of rhymeThe most common form of rhyme

Places the rhyming sound at the end of a Places the rhyming sound at the end of a line of poetryline of poetry

The following lines of poetry by Langston The following lines of poetry by Langston Hughes are a good example:Hughes are a good example:

O, God of dust and rainbows, help us seeO, God of dust and rainbows, help us see

That without dust the rainbow would not beThat without dust the rainbow would not be

Internal RhymeInternal RhymeRepeats sounds within lines of poetryRepeats sounds within lines of poetry

The following line from Edgar Allan The following line from Edgar Allan Poe’s Poe’s The Raven The Raven is a good example:is a good example:

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and wearypondered weak and weary

Approximate RhymeApproximate RhymeVery popular with more modern poetsVery popular with more modern poets

The final rhyming sounds are close, but not The final rhyming sounds are close, but not exactly the sameexactly the same

Approximate rhyme is illustrated in these lines Approximate rhyme is illustrated in these lines by Emily Dickinsonby Emily Dickinson

All of evening softly litAll of evening softly lit

As an astral hallAs an astral hall

““Father,” I observed to Heaven,Father,” I observed to Heaven,

““You are punctual!”You are punctual!”

What is Alliteration?What is Alliteration?The repetition of consonant sounds in a The repetition of consonant sounds in a group of words close togethergroup of words close together

Alliteration comes at the beginning of Alliteration comes at the beginning of wordswords

An easy way to remember alliteration:An easy way to remember alliteration:

AllAlliteration uses iteration uses allall the letters, except the the letters, except the vowels.vowels.

An Example of AlliterationAn Example of Alliteration

This example comes from Ted This example comes from Ted Hughes’s poem, Hughes’s poem, The Lake:The Lake:

Snuffles at my Snuffles at my ffeet eet ffor what I might drop or or what I might drop or kick upkick up

SSucks and ucks and sslobbers the lobbers the sstones, tones, ssnorts norts through its lipsthrough its lips

What is Consonance?What is Consonance?

It is the repetition of consonant sounds It is the repetition of consonant sounds located other than at the beginnings of located other than at the beginnings of words.words.

Again, Again, The LakeThe Lake offers a good example: offers a good example:

Snuffles at my feet for what I might droSnuffles at my feet for what I might dropp or or kick ukick upp

Sucks and slobbers the sSucks and slobbers the sttones, snorones, snorttss through ithrough ittss lip lipss

What is Assonance?What is Assonance?

The repetition of The repetition of vowel sounds vowel sounds close togetherclose together

What’s the difference?What’s the difference?How are rhyme and assonance different?How are rhyme and assonance different?

Rhyme is the repetition of accented vowel Rhyme is the repetition of accented vowel sounds sounds AND AND the sounds that follow themthe sounds that follow them

Assonance is simply the repetition of Assonance is simply the repetition of vowel soundsvowel sounds

Edgar Allan Poe’s Edgar Allan Poe’s The Bells The Bells provides a provides a good example:good example:

From the mFrom the mooltlteen gn gooldldeen nn nootestes

What is Onomatopoeia?What is Onomatopoeia?The use of a word whose sound imitates The use of a word whose sound imitates or reinforces its meaning. In other words, it or reinforces its meaning. In other words, it seeks to imitate the sound for which it seeks to imitate the sound for which it stands.stands.

Examples in everyday language are words Examples in everyday language are words like whoosh, tick-tock, zoom, and purr.like whoosh, tick-tock, zoom, and purr.

Popcorn is also onomatopoeia because its Popcorn is also onomatopoeia because its name imitates its action.name imitates its action.

What is Refrain?What is Refrain?One or more words, phrases, One or more words, phrases, or lines that are repeated or lines that are repeated regularly in a poem, usually at regularly in a poem, usually at the end of a stanza.the end of a stanza.

In a song, we often call it the In a song, we often call it the chorus.chorus.

How many can you find?How many can you find?

We real cool. WeWe real cool. WeLeft school. WeLeft school. We

Lurk late. WeLurk late. WeStrike straight. WeStrike straight. We

Sing sin. WeSing sin. WeThin gin. WeThin gin. We

Jazz June. WeJazz June. WeDie soon.Die soon.