1. Aural imagery and Meaning
Sound and Sense
Aural imagery and Meaning
Jennifer A. Bennett
Sanderson High School
Wake County Public School System
North Carolina

2. Sound & Sense Devices
How a poet uses the individual or collected sounds in a poem to enhance or emphasize meaning (sense) within it
Aural imagery—Handing us the sounds of the things and/or emotions the poem is about
Important indicator of tone; can set mood
Subtle (if used well) and sometimes even subconscious
Avoid the brick-bat approach to these devices!

3. Types of S & S Devices Alliteration Consonance Assonance Euphony
Cacophony
Onomatopoeia

4. Alliteration
Occurs when the initial sounds of a word, beginning either with a consonant or a vowel, are repeated in close succession in a line or lines of a poem.
Mostly about beginning consonant sounds
Examples:
The snake silently slithered past Cyndi.
Repetition of “s” sound at the beginnings of words in
Close succession
SO WHAT? The repetition of “s” sounds imitates the sound of the snake, creating an aural image!
“Remembered with twinklings and twinges.”
SO WHAT? “tw” repetition actually imitates the concept of twinkling and semi-involuntary twinge.

5. Consonance
The repetition of consonant sound in close succession within a line or lines of a poem
sounds can be anywhere in the words
The snake silently slithered across the grass.
The repetition of the “s” sound appears at different places in the words, not just the beginning.

6. Assonance Opposite of consonance
The repetition of a vowel sound in close succession throughout a line or lines of a poem
Usually in stressed syllables
Examples:
Twinkle, twinkle, little star How I wonder what you are Up above the world so high, Like a diamond in the sky.
By and by, nor spare a sigh, Though worlds of wanwood leafmeal lie. And yet you will weep and know why
Repetition of long “i” sounds suggests the sound of the sigh.

7. Advertising Slogans
Weather on the Ones (different letters, same sound)
Scooby, Dooby, Doo, where are you?
Wet Wipes
Dora the Explorer
Krispy Kreme
Dunkin’ Donuts
Hannah Montana
Blues Clues
Berenstain Bears
The Now Network
Bear in the Big Blue House
Phil of the Future
Rollie Pollie Ollie

8. Onomatopoeia
The use of words that imitate or suggest the sound of the thing they present
Examples: buzz, clop, lash, roar, meow, crash, bombard, choke
Others: chew, whisper, murmur, mumble, strike, sizzle, chop, blast, zoom

9. Cacophony
Noise!
Combinations of sounds that create discord; harshness of sound produced by sharp, gutteral consonant and word combinations
Short, clipped vowel sounds and consonants
ex. “But notched and whelked and pocked and smashed”
appropriate lyrics for a lullaby ?

10. Euphony
Sweet and pleasant sounding combinations of sounds/words that produce ease of articulation—soothing, flowing sounds
Sound & sense: these soft & flowing sounds suggest a pleasant atmosphere and meaning
Long vowel sounds, soft consonants
Ex. Dark faces pale against that rosy flame, The mild-eyed melancholy Lotos-eaters came.
Dark faces pale against that rosy flame, The mild-eyed melancholy Lotos-eaters came.
Soothing effect: long vowels, soft consonants, and soothing hypnotic rhythm