The Use of Sound in Poetry

I present to you today another video from Jackson Bates, this time on Alliteration, Assonance and Consonance.  Now if you are a writer/poet or perhaps an English teacher then I still recommend the video. 

Most people in those categories should know what those terms mean but I think this video does a very good job or going past surface definitions and exploring the effect that different sounds have on the meaning and shape of words.

Now I think when I use these techniques myself its often something that I do naturally or intuitively.  I tend to avoid alliteration because I think it can become too obvious, but assonance I know features in my long form poetry.

I think drawing our attention to the sound of poetry is just as important for readers.  In plans for a project next year I had already made a decision to start reading poetry aloud to myself.

I think there’s an important aspect of the poem imparted in good poetry when it’s read. It’s too easy to miss the aural qualities when just interpreting from the page.