Poetry

Alliteration What is it!?

Alliteration: the repetition of the same or very similar initial sounds in words that are close together in a poem. An example is: His soul sings like a saxophone.

Your task: Create a line that uses alliteration of the ‘B’ sound. Example: "Bill belted out a ballad to his beloved Bertha."

Let’s hear some of your lines.

Would include this type of sound if they were writing something somber or bleak?

Now, write a line that uses alliteration of the "S" sound and use the sound sparingly, unlike the previous tongue-twister example. Attempt a mood that is haunting or even nightmarish -- something darker than the "B" sound.

Let’s hear some of your lines.

Though those examples, you can see that alliteration plays a role in suggesting mood and tone.

Here is an example of a poem that uses alliteration Golden girl in a golden gown in a melody night in Harlem town. What mood or tone is suggested by the use of alliteration in this poem?

What if it were different… Golden girl in a golden gown in a melody night in Harlem town. How would the poem be different if the writer had described the girl as "brown-skinned" instead of "golden" or if her dress had been "yellow" instead of "golden?"

Alliteration creates a sense of rhythm.

So, alliteration is the repetition of the same or very similar initial sounds in words that are close together in a poem. It is a poetic device, or the language used within a poem.

Acrostic Poems What are they?

In contrast, an Acrostic is the type of poetry, whereas, alliteration is the language used in the poem.

Acrostic Poems Mothers are special Open to buy you gifts Tuck you in Hugs you Excellent mom Rinses the dishes Perhaps you have a wonderful idea to share, Or you may dream in colors mankind has never seen. Everyone else has no idea That you live in vibrancy unknown. Revealing your vision can shake the world You simply must put it into words. What is similar about these two poems? They are both acrostic poems. Acrostic poems are poems in which special letters spell another word. Most often, the special letters come at the beginning of each line, however, they may be placed elsewhere too.

Let’s Give it a Go! Let’s try write our own acrostic using our school name. C H A T S W O D

Now that you understand what alliteration is, and what an acrostic poem is, I have a challenge for you…

Create an Acrostic poem of your name. Include alliteration and ensure your poem illustrates self respect. Hint: Consider adjectives that positively describe someone. E.g. happy, bubbly, fun, loving, care, virtuous, beautiful, proud, talented etc.