Alliteration

Alliteration is the repetition of identical sounds at the beginning of words or in stressed syllables. The words applied in alliteration can begin with a consonant or a vowel. This literary device occurs in various words across successive sentences, clauses, or phrases. The function of alliteration, like rhyme, might be to emphasize the exquisiteness of language in a given context, or to unite words or concepts through a type of repetition.

Here are several examples:

Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked. If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers How many pickled peppers did Peter Piper pick?

Nate never knows.

Sandy sold seashells by the sea shore.

How much wood would a woodchuck chuck If a woodchuck would chuck wood? A woodchuck would chuck all the wood he could chuck If a woodchuck would chuck wood.

People who pen poetry.

Alliteration in poems

Here are examples of alliteration taken from The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe:

Once upon a midnight dreary while I pondered weak and weary ...rare and radiant maiden And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing, Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before

Alliteration in children books

Dr. Suess is known for his alliteration usage.

ex: Aunt Annie’s alligator Barber baby bubbles and a bumblebee Camel on the ceiling C…c….c David Donald Doo dreamed a dozen doughnuts and a duck-dog, too ear egg elephant Four fluffy feathers on a Fiffer-feffer-feff Goat girl googoo goggles Hungry horse hay Hen in a hat Hooray Hooray Icabod is itchy Jerry Jordan’s jelly jar and jam Kitten Kangaroo Kick a kettle Lazy lion licks a lollipop Many mumbling mice are making midnight music in the moonlight Nine new neckties and a nightshirt Oscar’s only ostrich oiled an orange owl today Painting pink pajamas The quick Queen of Quincy and her quacking quacker-oo Rosy Robin Ross…riding on her red rhinoceros Silky Sammy Slick sipped six sodas Ten tied turtles on a tuttle-tuttle tree Uncle Ubb’s umbrella Vera Violet Vinn is very very very awful on her violin Willy Waterloo washes Warren Wiggins who is washing Waldo Woo Nixie Knox A yawning yellow yak Zizzer-Zazzer-Zuzz

Dr. Suess ABC book

Pop Culture Alliteration

Various organizations apply alliteration to develop memorable and appealing names. By using alliteration companies are able to enhance sales and attract customers.

Several common illustrations are:

• Dunkin’ Donuts

• PayPal

• Best Buy

• Coca-Cola

• Life Lock

• Park Place

• American Apparel

• American Airlines

• Chuckee Cheese’s

• Bed Bath & Beyond

• Krispy Kreme

Alliterations are also found in people or character names, creating unforgettable and distinguishable identities. Fictional characters and real individual’s identifications may be distinctive due to the alliterative effects of the names.

A few examples are:

• Ronald Reagan

• Sammy Sosa

• Jesse Jackson

• Michael Moore

• William Wordsworth

• Mickey Mouse

• Porky Pig

• Marilyn Monroe

• Fred Flintstone

• Donald Duck

• Spongebob Squarepants

Also See

Consanance

Assonance

Onomatopoeia

Tounge Twister

References

1) Contemporary Alliterations http://literarydevices.net/alliteration/