We explain what an alliteration is in literature, in what other areas it is used and examples. Also, what is onomatopoeia.
What is alliteration?
Alliteration is a Literary figure which consists of the repetition or reiteration of certain sounds inside of the text written, in order to obtain a greater expressiveness or sound impact.
It is a figure not subject to metric norms, which uses different sound strategies depending on the language in question. For example, among classical Latin cultists, the composition of phrases and verses whose words all began with the same letter was popular.
Alliteration is almost exclusive to literary language, but it is possible to find it in popular verses, rhymes children and even in certain turns of the language daily. But their ability to draw the speaker's attention to the very sounds they are making is characteristic.
Examples of alliteration
Some examples of alliteration are as follows:
- "My mom pampers me" (nursery rhyme).
- "Three sad tigers swallow wheat in a wheat field" (popular tongue twister).
- "Alone in the solitude of the lonely south of the ocean" (in "Poem IX" by Pablo Neruda).
- "Under the light wing of the slight fan" (in "It was a soft air ..." by Rubén Darío).
- "To the winged soul of the roses" (in "Elegy" by Miguel Hernández).
Alliteration and onomatopoeia
Just as alliteration pays attention to the sounds of language, onomatopoeia instead use language to try to reproduce the sounds of speech. reality. So an onomatopoeia will be a way of making language "say" the sounds of things, such as:
- "Tick-tock", the hands of the clock.
- "Meow", the cat's meow.
- "Wow", the barking of the dog.
- "Pum", the shot of the revolver.
- "Cataplún", the cannon shot.
- "Pío", the chick chirp.