Using alliteration to enhance emotion in poetry

Poetry asks for emotion, in the writing of the poet and in the mind of the reader. However, many wonder how to create emotion in their writing. One way to enhance emotion is to use poetic devices.

Poetic devices, when used with imaginative language, help create that necessary emotion in poetry. Let’s look at alliteration and see how using it can help create emotion.

“What the hell is alliteration?” asks the student of poetry. “Sounds like something that would make me itch or something.”

Not at all, but it might tickle your ears. Alliteration is generally the repetition of an initial sound (usually a constant initial sound) that occurs close enough to each other to engage the eye and the ear.

Blue boy, come honk the horn Mother Goose is an excellent example of alliteration, all those adorable b’s close together.

“Fine and elegant,” asks the student, “but where is there emotion in that?”

Just give me time and I’ll get there. Ish, some people are so impatient.

Now if we take some alliteration and mix it with language that portrays the mood or emotion we want, voila!

Like gifts wrapped in bright colors

gathering dust in the back of my mind,

Memories bother me mercilessly

The lines above invoke a sense of joy, perhaps a little bit of happiness, by using the words gifts and jokes wrapped up in a conspicuous way. But they also leave a lingering feeling of sadness with the words gathering dust. Both emotions, however, are strengthened and united with the use of alliteration: joyous, gifts, reunion; mind, memories, me, no mercy.

Let’s look at some other examples.

Boring, monotonous day, you throw heaps

Of pain in a seemingly numb life.

The emotion created by those two lines is depression or sadness. Again, alliteration strengthens emotion.

“Okay, I think I’m starting to get an idea,” admits the student.

So let’s look at one more example, shall we?

Cheerful and smiling girls are grouped

as if birds tweeted in the branches of the trees.

Here we have the happiness that is shown through alliteration.

Alliteration is just one method, a device, that can be used to enhance emotion in our writing. We can read, learn and practice until we have improved those images.