Poetry Workshop: Alliteration

 Poetry Workshop #2

Welcome to the second poetry workshop! In this series, you will be introduced to a myriad of poetic techniques and styles and discover how Tracy K. Smith in particular employs such tools into her own writing. Today, let’s dive into Smith’s use of alliteration.

What is alliteration?

According to Merriam-Webster, alliteration is “the use of words that begin with the same sound near one another.” For example, the phrases babbling brook and wild and wooly use alliteration due to the fact that there is the occurrence of the same letter – in the first case the use of “b” and in the second case the use of “w” – at the beginning of closely connected words. Generally, in alliteration, the words should follow in quick succession as they do in the previous two examples. In addition, the key to alliteration is that the words must begin with the same sound, not necessarily the same letter. That’s why “gym junkie” is alliterative while “green gin” is not.

How does this connect to poetry?

Alliteration is one of the most commonly-used devices in poetry, simply because it sounds quite pleasing. Take William Shakespeare’s use of “f” in Romeo and Juliet: “From forth the fatal loins of these two foes.” The use of this repeated “f” is certainly satisfying if I do say so myself. 

Besides the fact that alliteration sounds pleasing, there are three other main reasons as to why alliteration is so widely-used in poetry. Alliteration builds mood. While a vast array of words can easily be used to describe any situation, subject, idea, etc., certain letter sounds have specific connotations that help to contribute to the overall tone and message of the poem; the repetition of such sounds only heightens this effect. For example, take the words “silt,” “seas,” and “sliver.” Putting words of this “s” sound together, one after the other, invokes the sound of a whisper, adding a mysterious, almost ominous tone and flair to the poem, which can ultimately help poets convey their overall message to their readers more effectively. 

Another reason why poets so commonly use alliteration is because it lends to poems a greater sense of rhythm, melody, and verse – even if the poem itself doesn’t have a concrete rhyme scheme or meter – imparting a sense of how exactly the poem should sound when it is being read aloud. Therefore, in this way, alliteration serves to carry a poem forward, setting the pace of the piece (i.e. speeding it up or slowing it down depending on what sounds are used and how exactly they are employed in the grand scheme of the poem). 

Finally, alliteration is used in poetry as a way to place emphasis on certain words. Because of the fact that alliteration cannot necessarily carry the whole poem and is used in only select places, when it is used, it typically includes only a few words in any given sentence; sometimes, alliteration is used with as little as two words. Nevertheless, alliteration serves to emphasize the meaning contained within those words, which is a powerful, thoughtful way for poets to relay their thoughts, ideas, and purpose to their readers.

Tracy K. Smith’s use of Alliteration:

Here are just a few examples of how Tracy K. Smith uses alliteration in her poems. 

Consider: What effect does Smith’s use of alliteration have on you as the reader? What mood do you think the alliteration creates? Why do you believe Smith employs alliteration in these various scenarios?

“Man with a ship to catch, a payload to drop, / This message going out to all of space…. Though / Maybe it’s more like life below the sea: silent, / Buoyant, bizarrely benign. Relics / Of an outmoded design” (My God, It’s Full of Stars from Life on Mars, 8).

“... It sounds like the kind of party / Your neighbors forget to invite you to: bass throbbing / Through walls, and everyone thudding around drunk / On the roof” (The Universe is a House Party from Life on Mars, 13).

“In the mountains of Wyoming / A trout looks up through the rood / Water makes. Features, fur, a fine / Thread of invisible chord skirt / The surface, and the trout’s mind / Makes the sign for fly” (Astral from Duende, 27).

“Here, coast cleaves to hill and haggard road. / Shattered glass glints out from cement walls. Green / A shade of gold” (Costa Chica from Duende, 75).