PO1 - Lesson: The Language of Poetry - Alliteration

A highly stylized clock that shows time as a spiral.The Language of Poetry - Alliteration

In the previous lesson, we discussed how antecedents and referents are used to create the language of poetry. Now we will shift our focus to alliteration.

Image note: The image to the right shows a unique take on a clock face. Instead of being a single circle face, it is a spiral, hinting at infinity. Think about this image as you read the poem for this lesson - How is time relevant in Shakespeare's poem?

Economy in Language: Alliteration

Words or phrases may be repeated to emphasize ideas or associations. Alliteration is the repetition of the same letter sound at the beginning of adjacent or nearby words to emphasize those words and their associations or representations. 

Here's a simple example:

  • Preferring purple peonies, I bought you a rose.

William Shakespeare's "Sonnet 12" - Alliteration

Read “Sonnet 12” by William Shakespeare. As you read, look carefully for alliteration.

When I do count the clock that tells the time, 
And see the brave day sunk in hideous night; 
When I behold the violet past prime, 
And sable curls all silver’d o’er with white;
When lofty trees I see barren of leaves 
Which erst from heat did canopy the herd,
And summer’s green all girded up in sheaves 
Borne on the bier with white and bristly beard, 
Then of thy beauty do I question make, 
That thou among the wastes of time must go,
Since sweets and beauties do themselves forsake
And die as fast as they see others grow; 
  And nothing ‘gainst Time’s scythe can make defence
  Save breed, to brave him when he takes thee hence. 

William Shakespeare "Sonnet 12" - Self-Check

The Role of Alliteration in Poetry

Remember that it is one thing to notice alliteration (or any other poetic device), and another to show how the device affects the overall meaning. The overall meaning of the first 12 lines is that life will pass, while the last two lines offer comfort with the idea that one way to overcome time is to create future generations.

Like most sound and meter devices, you can always safely say that the alliteration “emphasizes” the overall meaning of the poem. In this poem, it’s about the passage of time. With this in mind, if we look back to the opening line, we can make the argument that the harsh consonant sounds of the “c” and “t” how “count the clock” and “tells the time” mimic the ticking of a clock. “Borne,” “bier" (a funeral altar), and “bristly beard" (grey and stiff) further emphasize the passage of time and form a contrast with “beauty.” The “b” sound will be further developed at the end with “breed,” and “brave” which indicate a shift in the meaning as the poet seeks a positive solution to the passage of time.

The Language of Poetry: Reflection

There are several stylistic ways that poets can use pronouns and sound devices like alliteration to craft meaning. Concerning antecedents, the simple idea to take away from this lesson is that when you see a pronoun in a poem, that you take the time to trace it back to its antecedent. Concerning alliteration, the simple idea is to note it in the poem, and then be selective about how the examples that you have noticed influence meaning. Finally, remember that it will probably be impossible and not necessary to write about every example of alliteration or pronoun antecedents in an analysis; instead, focus on how a few select examples affect the overall meaning of the poem. 

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