Is Alliteration Figurative Language?How,When,Where

In this article we will be finding the answer to the question ‘is alliteration figurative language?’ with the help of various alliteration examples and their explanations.

Alliteration in simple terms can be said as the reiteration of the same initial consonant sounds in close by words in a sentence in order to enhance the rhythm within the lines and also to stress something to the readers. Alliteration is most commonly used in poems, prose, titles, brand names, slogans and so on to create an effective sound effect.

Go through the following alliteration examples to get a basic overview about them.

• 1. ‘While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,’ – The Raven
• 2. ‘For the sky and the sea, and the sea and the sky’ –  Rime of the Ancient Mariner
• 3. ‘From forth the fatal loins of these two faces’ – Romeo and Juliet
• 4. The dolphin dived deep into the water.
• 5. Bed, Bath & Beyond; Kit Kat; American Apparel, Coca Cola – Brand names
• 6. A good cook could cook as many cookies as a good cook who could cook cookies.

The words that are italicized in the above examples are the repeated initial consonant sounds in each sentence which help in creating the figurative language of alliteration. The repetition of the italicized sounds help in creating the rhythm and also in emphasizing the points to the readers.

How is alliteration figurative language?

A figurative language is the usage of words or phrases for a subtle purposes where they convey something more than their actual meaning or what they out to convey. Figurative language does not just mean the literal meaning but it carries an inner meaning, a visual image or a sound effect in an effective way.  

Alliteration is a figurative language because, the consonant sounds in the nearby words are repeated to communicate to the readers, the content, harmonically by giving a sound effect that is pleasing to the ears. Alliteration also aids in emphasizing a point to the readers.

Example: ‘Now the leaves are falling fast,

                    Nurses to their graves are gone,’ – Autumn Song

W.H. Auden has used the figurative language- alliteration beautifully in these lines by the repetitive use of the consonant sound of ‘f’ in nearby words ‘falling’ and ‘fast’ and  ‘g’ consonant sound in the nearby words ‘graves’ and ‘gone’ to bring about an internal rhyme within the lines.

When is alliteration figurative?

Alliteration is figurative when the repetitive consonant sounds in the words at the close proximity appeals to our senses by creating an effective audio effect that in turn helps in building the mood for the readers.

Example: ‘To watch his woods fill up with snow.’ – Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening

Robert Frost in these lines have incorporated alliteration as a figure of speech by repeating the consonant sound ‘w’ in close by words ‘watch’ and ‘woods’ to create an imagery in the minds of the readers by giving the pleasing rhythm to the words.

Example: American Airlines, Dunkin Donuts, PayPal

The above mentioned are all brand names that have used the figurative language of alliteration. These brand names have same initial consonant sounds in the words of their brand names in order to create a rhyme in them. In this way, the sound effect created by the repetition of the same initial consonant sounds within the brand names make the people remember the brand names easily.

Where is alliteration figurative?

Only when the initial consonant sounds of the nearby words are repeated, it is called alliteration. If the words are not nearby, then it cannot be considered as alliteration. And the same way, it is not that the consonant letters of the nearby words must be repetitive, it is only the repeated consonant sounds of the close by words that create the figurative language ‘alliteration’ and not the same letters.

Example: ‘But day doth daily draw my sorrows longer,’ – Sonnet 28

William Shakespeare has utilized alliteration in his sonnet ‘How Can I Then Return In Happy Plight’ by repeating the consonant sound of ‘d’ in nearby words such as ‘day’, ‘doth’, ‘daily’ and ‘draw’ thereby creating a rhyme and harmony within the lines and by getting the readers into the mood of sorrow he experiences.

Example: The cookies are kept to cool in kitchen.

In the above sentence, the consonant sound of ‘c’ and ‘k’ are similar and thereby they are used as alliteration to cause the audio effect in nearby words such as ‘cookies’, ‘kept’, ‘cool’ and ‘kitchen’. Thus from the above example, we got to know that, it is the repetition of the same consonant sound in the nearby words that create the alliteration and not just the repetition of the same consonant letters.

Alliteration is also figurative when it is used in many English rhymes in order to have the attention grabbing rhythm and the sound effect which will be easily remembered by the young kids.

Example: ‘Three grey geese in a green field grazing. Grey were the geese and the green was the grazing.’ – Three Grey Geese

Here, the consonant sound ‘g’ is repeatedly used in the words in close proximity ‘grey’, ‘geese’, ‘green’, and ‘grazing’ thereby making it rhyming and easy to remember.

Example: ‘Betty Botter bought some butter, but she said, the butter’s bitter, if I put it in my batter, it will make my batter bitter, but a bit of better butter will make my bitter batter better.’ – Betty Botter.

Carolyn Wells, in the rhymes ‘Betty Botter’ has wonderfully employed alliteration by repeating the consonant sound ‘b’ in almost all the words in the rhymes thereby creating a rhyme and sound effect and also a tongue twister.

Alliteration is also used in tongue twisters to make them rhythmic and difficult to say.

Example: ‘Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.’       

The consonant sound ‘p’ is repeated in the nearby words here, thereby creating an alliteration which makes the sentence as a tongue twister and difficult to say.

Conclusion

Hence, from the above examples and explanations we came to know why, how, when and where alliteration is used as a figurative speech to enhance the style of writing and to add beauty to the written words by adding the sound effect and rhyme as a means to emphasize or stress a point.