Alliteration

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Alliteration is a stylistic device, or literary technique, in which successive words (more strictly, stressed syllables) begin with the same consonant sound or letter. Alliteration is a frequent tool in poetry but it is also common in prose, particularly to highlight short phrases. Especially in poetry,it contributes to euphony of the passage, lending it a musical air. It may add a humorous effect. Related to alliteration are assonance, the repetition of vowel sounds, and consonance, the repetition of many kinds of sounds.

Notably, it is typical for the vowel sounds following the repeated consonant one to be dissimilar, particularly in neighbouring alliterations - much like how the initial sounds of tail rhymes also most often differ.

Alliterative verse in one form or another is shared by all of the Germanic languages. In the English language, alliteration occurs in Old English poetry, of which it was a central component. In the Romantic era, it was once more given attention: the Romantics were generally interested in making poetry more musical, and in the ancient heritage of their native languages. Richard Wagner, for instance, used alliteration extensively in his operatic texts. (cf. Stabreim)

1 Examples
- 1.1 Common examples
- 1.2 Longer examples
2 See also
3 External links

[edit] Examples

Examples of alliteration include well-known tongue-twisters such as "Round the rugged rock the ragged rascal ran" , "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.", and "How much wood could a woodchuck chuck, if a woodchuck could chuck wood?"

[edit] Common examples

Like rhyme, alliteration is a great help to memory: it is 'catchy', and frequently used in news headlines, corporate names, literary titles, advertising, buzzwords, and nursery rhymes.

Baby Boom
Back to Basics
Balance the Books
Beavis and Butt-Head
Big Bang
Big Ben
Boom or Bust
Born to Be My Baby
Coca-Cola
Do or Die
Final Four
Green as Grass
Hale and Hearty
Kill the King
Live the Life
Making Magic
March Madness
Mathematical Meandering
McDonald's Massacre
Mickey Mouse
Monday Morning
the More the Merrier
Nattering Nabobs of Negativism
Pay the Price
Petty Prince
Political Policy
Pontiac Pursuit
Poor but Proud
Sesame Street
Sink or Swim
Super Sonic
Sweet Sixteen
It Takes Two To Tango
Take Two
Tribulation Tech
Watchful Waiting

[edit] Longer examples

Now Beowulf bode in the burg of the Scyldings, Leader beloved, and long he ruled
On scrolls of silver snowy sentence
Where wigs with wigs, with sword-knots sword-knots strive,
Beaux banish beaux, and coaches coaches drive.
She sells sea shells by the sea shore.
Alginon and Anaconda: An Alliterated Analogy: Alginon agilely angled an anglerfish, and an anaconda appeared. Amiably Alginon aloha'd, and asked anaconda about apples. "Apples are appaling," anaconda aggressively answered. "Appalling?!" asserted Alginon, "Are anacondas absolutely asinine? Apples are astounding!" "Ah, another addle-head. Abstain! Anymore absurdity and anaconda attacks!" answered an agitated anaconda. "Apples are amazing! Appetizing aroma and an appealing aftertaste; Apples are always an attractive appetizer! AP~PLES! AP~PLES! AP~PLES!" Alginon applauded, and ate an apple. Anaconda attacked. "AAAAAAAAAH!!" answered Alginon. Anaconda ate Alginon's aorta. "Agreed. Apples are an adequate appetizer, anytime Alginon's an aliment."

Note that the stressed syllables in the alliteration do not necessarrily appear at the start of a word.

At least two notable computer games are named with alliteration:

The Leisure Suit Larry (and other) games often feature alliteration for humorous names of fictional companies, magic spells etc.

Occasionally parents and authors use alliteration in the naming of their children and characters:

It is also common in the naming of many comic book characters:

Stan Lee, co-creator of many comic book super-heroes, has stated that he named many of his characters using alliteration as a mnemonic device as he is creator of many, and often forgets easily.

The 2005 film V for Vendetta depicts the protagonist V introducing himself to Evey Hammond with the following alliterative line:

Voila! In view, a humble vaudevillian veteran, cast vicariously as both victim and villain by the vicissitudes of fate. This visage, no mere veneer of vanity, is a vestige of the vox populi, now vacant, vanished. However, this valorous visitation of a bygone vexation stands vivified, and has vowed to vanquish these venal and virulent vermin vanguarding vice and vouchsafing the violently vicious and voracious violation of volition. The only verdict is vengeance, a vendetta held as a votive, not in vain, for the value and veracity of such shall one day vindicate the vigilant and the virtuous. Verily, this vichyssoise of verbiage veers most verbose, so allow me to simply add that it is my very good honor to meet you, and you may call me V.