Much Madness is divinest Sense - / To a discerning Eye - / Much Sense -- the starkest Madness - / 'Tis the Majority / In this, as All, prevail - / Assent - and you are sane - / Demur - you're straightway dangerous - / And handled with a Chain - -- Emily Dickinson, Much Madness is divinest Sense, 1862 (Maybe)

What is Alliteration?

Alliteration is a literary device defined as the repetition of the same initial consonant sounds across multiple words in a phrase, sentence, or verse. For example, “Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers” uses the repeating “P” sound.

Alliteration is based on consonants and consonant clusters instead of vowels. The repetitive sound can occur at the start of words or within words. It creates a poetic rhythm and musicality when used skillfully.

Importance of Alliteration in Poetry

Alliteration has been an important poetic device dating back thousands of years in oral traditions and ancient epics like the Old English poem Beowulf:

“The waters welled with blood, gore-tinted groves and valleys sounded with war cries”

It adds sonic texture, emphasizes important words, and reinforces meaning. Homer, Virgil, Pindar and other ancient Greek and Latin poets utilized alliteration and assonance to bring musicality to their verse.

In European poetry, alliteration was a core part of Old English, Middle English and Old Norse verse forms. It connected lines, reinforced themes, and made poetry more memorable before rhyme became popular.

Alliteration remains a versatile technique in both formal structured verse and free verse poetry today. Some key alliterative poetic devices include:

  • Consonance – Shared consonant sounds within words (“tinted groves”)
  • Assonance – Shared vowel sounds between words (“well with blood”)
  • Sibilance – “S” or “Sh” sounds (“valleys sounded”)
  • Head rhyme – Same consonant sounds at start of rhyme (“war cries”)

How Can Alliteration Enhance Poetry?

Alliteration enhances poetry through:

Adding Musicality to Free Verse

Alliteration brings sonic resonance and musicality to free verse poetry by replacing rhyme with melodic repetitive consonant sounds. The repetition can echo like a refrain throughout a free verse poem.

Walt Whitman utilized alliteration in his free verse poem “Song of Myself”:

“I too am not a bit tamed, I too am untranslatable / I sound my barbaric yawp over the roofs of the world.”

The bold “b” sounds reinforce the line’s themes of raw self-expression.

Creating Memorable Lines and Passages

Alliteration helps certain lines or passages stand out and stick in the reader’s mind. By highlighting words through sound repetition, alliteration boosts memorability.

For instance, Shakespeare coined the famous alliterative phrase “the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune” which impresses itself on the memory.

Examples of Alliteration in Famous Poetry

Famous Poems Utilizing Alliteration

Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven” – “And the silken, sad, uncertain rustling of each purple curtain”

S.T. Coleridge’s “Kubla Khan” – “A savage place! As holy and enchanted”

Emily Dickinson’s “Because I Could Not Stop for Death” – “The Carriage held but just Ourselves”

Alfred Lord Tennyson’s “The Charge of the Light Brigade” – “Cannon to right of them, Cannon to left of them”

Exploring Alliteration in Nursery Rhymes

Nursery rhyme couplets often use alliteration both for musicality and ease of memorization:

  • Jack and Jill (went up the hill)
  • Peter Piper (picked a peck of…)
  • One Fish, Two Fish (Red Fish, Blue Fish)

The repetition of consonant sounds aids in rhyme, rhythm and memory in these children’s verses.

A serene outdoor setting by a lakeside during sunset. A poet, sits on a blanket, surrounded by scattered sheets of free verse poetry, each with evident alliterative phrases.

Using Alliteration in Your Own Poems

Tips on Implementing Alliteration in Your Own Free Verse

  • Identify key words or themes to emphasize through sound repetition
  • Use alliteration in moderation – Avoid heavy overuse
  • Experiment with different consonant sounds for variety
  • Be intentional about alliteration placement to shape rhythm
  • Use other poetic devices like assonance and sibilance in tandem
  • Read poems aloud to ensure alliterative flow

With practice and experimentation, alliteration can become a powerful tool in a poet’s arsenal for selectively creating resonance.

Examples of Alliteration

Let’s look at some examples of alliteration:

“The slick stream slithered softly over smooth stones.” (sibilance)

“The wind whistled with a wild whine.” (consonance)

“Thunder rumbled, rolling across the rain-ravaged sky.” (assonance)

Here the repetitive consonant and vowel sounds selectively emphasize certain words relevant to the nature imagery.

The Role of Alliterative Rhyme Patterns

Alliterative rhyme patterns can further enhance the overall musicality and memorability gained from alliteration:

  • Head rhyme – Same consonant sounds at start of rhyme (pick/peck)
  • Consonance – Shared consonant sounds within rhyme (barbaric/world)
  • Assonance – Shared vowel sounds (purple/curtain)
  • Sibilance – “S” and “Sh” sounds (sad/rustling)

Layering different alliterative techniques creates rich sonic textures like a symphony. The combined effect is greater than the individual techniques.

Does Alliteration Help Improve Memorability?

Yes, when used artfully alliteration can absolutely improve the memorability of poetry. The repetition causes words and lines to stand out, impressing themselves into the reader’s memory.

Memory techniques like creating acronyms rely on this power of alliteration to aid recollection through sound. Nursery rhymes also use alliteration and rhyme to help children easily remember the verses.

Overall, alliteration strengthens recollection and recall through its rhythmic, melodic reinforcement of key words and passages. Poetry gains an inscribed, memorable quality when alliteration selectively highlights resonant imagery or themes.

However, alliteration should not be overused to the point it distracts or feels forced. Subtle implementation with clear purpose brings out its strengths.

A photorealistic scene of a European female poet in her 30s, seated in a cozy coffee shop by a window on a rainy day.

The Risks of Overusing Alliteration

While alliteration can powerfully elevate poetry when used well, overreliance on it can make writing seem amateurish or childish. Alliteration is just one tool among many poetic devices.

When overused, alliteration may call excessive attention to itself rather than smoothly integrating into a poem. It can come across as gimmicky or heavy-handed. The repetitive sounds might overwhelm the actual substance.

Moderation is key. Alliteration is most impactful when implemented intentionally in limited, strategic ways to highlight motifs. It should complement a poem rather than dominate it. Subtle artistry brings out alliteration’s strengths and overdoing it can make any poem sound childlike. Restraint and purpose are two of the most important aspects of any truly great poem, which few exceptions.

Alliteration is a versatile poetic device that adds sonic resonance, texture and memorability to poetry when selectively employed by skilled poets. From ancient epics to nursery rhymes, alliterative language has long amplified meaning and musicality within memorable lines and passages. By thoughtfully applying alliteration, contemporary poets can continue the time-honored tradition of imbuing free verse with poetic music and eloquence. However, restraint prevents alliteration from overpowering the substantive heart of poetry

J.W. Carey
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