Figurative Language - Assonance and Consonance

Setting The Stage
Assonance is the repetition of vowel-sounds within non-rhyming words. In Poe's "Bells", he uses assonance of the vowel “e”: Hear the mellow wedding bells.

Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds within words. Consonance is very similar to alliteration, but the distinction between the two lies in the placement of the sounds. If the repeated sound is at the start of the words, it is alliteration. If it is anywhere else, it is consonance. In most cases, consonance refers to the end sound (like "nk" in blank and think.

Assonance, consonance, and alliteration are very closely related, though the distinction between them comes in determining vowels versus consonants, and then placement within the words. All serve to give a sense of continuity or fluidity to the verse. Assonance might be especially effective when rhyme is absent: It gives the poet more flexibility, and it is not typically used as part of a predetermined pattern. Like alliteration, it does not so much determine the structure or form of a poem; rather, it is more ornamental.

Response Stance
Invite students to reread the poems with the lens of the poet’s use of repetition and rhyme to create the qualities of unity and euphony, or a pleasing musicality. Students can record phrases that they find musically pleasing.

Invite students to use assonance and consonance in their own writing to create a specific effect. The writing can be poetry, but a true master can use it in other settings--essays, letters, and speeches.