The Nine Greek Muses with Cupid.

MUSICAL DEVICES

1. ALLITERATION =

REPETITION OF INITIAL CONSONANT SOUNDS

SUSIE SELLS SEASHELLS BY THE SEASHORE.

2. CONSONANCE =

REPETITION OF CONSONANT SOUNDS INSIDE WORDS OR AT THE END OF WORDS

FIRST AND LAST

ODDS AND ENDS

3. ASSONANCE =

REPETITION OF VOWEL SOUNDS

THAT NIGHT WHEN JOY BEGAN

OUR NARROWEST VEINS TO FLUSH,

WE WAITED FOR THE FLASH

OF MORNING'S LEVELED GUN.

4. RHYME =

REPETITION OF VOWEL SOUND WITH A CONSONANT

MASCULINE RHYME

(ONE SYLLABLE)

WHOSE WOODS THESE ARE I THINK I KNOW.

HIS HOUSE IS IN THE VILLAGE THOUGH.

FEMININE RHYME

(TWO SYLLABLES)

FLEAS

ADAM

HAD'EM.

TRIPLE RHYME

(THREE SYLLABLES)

I SHOOT THE HIPPOPOTAMUS

WITH BULLETS MADE OF PLATINUM

BECAUSE IF I USE LEADEN ONES

HIS HIDE IS SURE TO FLATTEN'EM.

dactylic: a rhyme in which the stress is on the antepenultimate (third from last) syllable (cacophonies, Aristophanes)

syllabic: a rhyme in which the last syllable of each word sounds the same but does not necessarily contain vowels. (cleaver, silver, or pitter, patter)

imperfect: a rhyme between a stressed and an unstressed syllable. (wing, caring)

semi-rhyme: a rhyme with an extra syllable on one word. (bend, ending)

oblique (or slant): a rhyme with an imperfect match in sound. (green, fiend)

sprung rhyme: matching final consonants. (bent, ant)

Return to George Klawitter.