POE—TASK 3b [POE 3b]
Poetry: Sound Devices notes…
The effect of a poem on the reader can depend on the sound of its words. The following are
some techniques that poets use to achieve sound effects.
• Rhyme is the repetition of sounds at the end of words.
• Rhythm is the pattern of sound created by the arrangement of
stressed and unstressed syllables in a line; meter is the repetition
of a rhythmic pattern throughout a poem.
• Alliteration is a repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of
words. (red, rubber, raft)
• Assonance is a repetition of vowel sounds in nonrhyming words. (fleet feet sweep
by sleeping geeks)
• Consonance is a repetition of consonant sounds within or at the end
of words. (thump, pump, grump, hu…)
• Onomatopoeia is the use of words that sound like what they refer to,
like buzz, hiss, crunch, and thump.
When you read a poem, use a chart like this one to identify sound devices.
Title: Author:
SOUND DEVICE
EXAMPLES
Rhyme
Rhythm
Alliteration
Assonance
Consonance
Onomatopoeia
