I. What is Alliteration?
In alliteration, words that begin with the same sound are placed close together. Although alliteration often involves repetition of letters, most importantly, it is a repetition of sounds.
Example
Phillip’s feet
Is an alliteration because the sounds are the same. On the other hand:
Cheerful cop
It might begin with the same letters, but it is not alliteration because the sounds are not the same.
The word alliteration comes from the Latin word latira, meaning “letters of the alphabet.”
II. Examples of Alliteration
Let’s look at some common examples
Example 1
Here’s another alliterations repeting the ‘a’ and ‘l’ sounds:
Allie likes all alliterations!
Example 2
You might have heard this alliteration that repeats the ‘s’ and ‘l’ sounds:
Sally sells seashells by the seashore.
Example 3
Another popular alliteration that repeats the ‘p’ sound:
Peter Piper Picked a Peck of Pickled Peppers.
III. The Importance of Alliteration
Alliteration is a useful sound device found in many types of literature but mostly in poetry. Businesses and advertisers use alliteration to call attention to company names and products. Many famous quotes and sayings also use alliteration. This is because the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words allow rhythm and musicality. It also makes a phrase easy to memorize and fun to read or say out loud.
Certain sounds can affect the mood of a poem. Alliteration can be used to give a poem a calm, smooth feeling or a loud, harsh feeling. For example, the phrase “Singing songs of the seaside” utilizes the “s” sound. This gives the phrase a soft and smooth sound. Meanwhile, the phrase “Keep that crazy cat out!” uses a hard “k” sound. This gives the phrase a harsh sound and adds a threatening tone.
Because alliteration is such a bold and noticeable device, it may be used to call attention to a certain subject. Many great speech-makers have used alliteration to emphasize certain parts of their arguments. For example, see Martin Luther King, Jr.’s famous quote:
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
Here, King uses alliteration to emphasize that racism (judgment based on skin color) must be replaced by equality (judgment based on content of character).
IV. Examples of Alliteration in Literature
Alliteration mostly occurs in poetry for its rhythmic and musical qualities. Its ability to shape the mood of a poem with hard or soft sounds is especially useful to poets. Here are a few examples of alliteration in poetry:
Example 1
Robert Frost uses alliteration in “Acquainted with the Night”:
I have looked down the saddest city lane.
I have passed by the watchman on his beat
And dropped my eyes, unwilling to explain.
I have stood still and stopped the sound of feet
When far away an interrupted cry
Came over houses from another street
Looked and lane; by and beat; stood, still, stopped, and sound; and cry and came! This alliterations in this poem are subtler than a tongue twister, but strong enough to provide rhythm.
Example 2
Samuel Taylor Coleridge uses alliteration in “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.
There are several types of alliteration here. The “f” sound used in fair, foam, flew, furrow, followed, free, and first. The “b,” sound in breeze and blew. The “w,” in we and were. Lastly, the “s,” in the silent sea.
V. Examples of Alliteration in Pop Culture
Example 1
Alliteration is often seen in advertising and business names for easy memorization and recognition.
- American Apparel
- American Airlines
- Best Buy
- Coca-Cola
- Dunkin’ Donuts
- Krispy Kreme
Certainly, the list goes on.
Example 2
Similarly, many celebrities and cartoon characters are given alliterative names:
- Donald Duck
- Fred Flinstone
- Marilyn Monroe
- Mickey Mouse
- Porky Pig
- Sammy Sosa
Example 3
Other times it serves to emphasize main characters over other characters.
For example, the television show Spongebob Squarepants has many characters including:
- Patrick Star
- Sandy Cheeks
- Spongebob Squarepants
- Squidward Tentacles
Most characters in the show have names that match with the type of animal they are, such as Patrick Star the Starfish. However, it is the main character Spongebob Squarepants who is given the alliterative name. This marks him as the main character of the television show.
Alliteration is also common in article titles, advertisements, and media to draw attention. Placing similar sounds is catchy and easy to remember, such as Seventeen’s article “What Gift Should You Give Your Guy?” and New York Times’ “The Lives They Lived.”
VI. Related Terms
(Terms: assonance and consonance)
Assonance
Like alliteration, assonance involves the repetition of certain sounds. Where alliteration is a repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words, assonance is repetition of vowel sounds within words. Alliteration and assonance are both used by poets to create rhythm. The sounds within words make assonance more subtle than alliteration. This is because the sounds at the beginning of words are more prominent and noticeable. Here is an example:
Alliteration:
Alice ate all of the apples in the afternoon.
Assonance:
We’ll wait til May when the shade blocks the sun’s rays.
Where alliteration is easy to recognize, assonance is not so clear; wait, May, shade, and rays, marked in bold, share an “a” vowel sound.
On the other hand, this sentence has both devices:
We’ll wait til May when the shade blocks the sun’s rays.
Adding the repetition of “w” sounds and “s” sounds at the beginning of words, gives the line alliteration. With both alliteration and assonance at work, this line has a rhythm and musicality it would otherwise not have.
Consonance
Like alliteration, consonance involves the repetition of sounds. Unlike alliteration, it only uses consonants but anywhere within words. Meanwhile, alliteration repeats both consonant or vowel sounds but only at the beginning of words. Here are a few examples of consonance versus alliteration:
Consonance:
Ted’s tap shoes pitter patter and tap at the talent show.
Here, the repetition of the “t” sound occurs throughout the sentence as consonance. Pitter patter is an example of consonance for the “p” and “t” sounds. Alliteration is slightly less common.
Alliteration:
Ted’s tap shoes pitter patter and tap at the talent show.
In this sentence, we can see repetition of the “t” and “p” sounds as both alliteration and consonance.
VII. Conclusion
Alliteration is a useful poetic device in which certain sounds are repeated at the beginning of words in a sentence or phrase. It may be used to draw attention to certain phrases and can provide rhythm and musicality. Alliteration can be found in literature and pop culture alike, from famous speeches to cartoon character names.