What is Alliteration? Literary Terms (An ABC of English Literature)

Literary Terms (An ABC of English Literature)

Alliteration:
Rpetition of a consonant at the beginning of two or more words or stressed syllables. Notice the following examples:
"Puffs, powders, patches, Bibles, billet-doux".*
*(Pope: The Rape of the Lock)

Here "P" has been repeated thrice and "b" twice. So there are two cases of alliteration in this line.

More examples:
The fair breeze blew, the whitc foam flew,
The furrow followed free;*
*(Coleridge: "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner)

Here "f" and "b" have been repeated.
"To spend too much time in studies is sloth," *
*(Bacon: "Of Studies")

Here "s" has been repeated.
"Blue, glossy green, and velvet black,"*
*(Coleridge: The Rime of the Ancient Mariner)

In this line two words begin with "b" and two words with "g". In the word "velvet", "v" repeated at the beginning of two stressed syllables____"vel" and "vet"

Similar alliteration is in each ofthese words: fulfil, fruitful, bramble, disdain, etc

How often do we use alliteration? Look at these: Good God, bold beauty, World Wide Web (www). Mickey Mouse, Bangladesh Biman, American Airlines, etc. Alliteration is used for musical effects. [see also Assonance, Consonance]