Importance and Effect of Assonance in Poetry

Assonance refers to pairing or matching of vowel sounds. It is a counterpart of alliteration. Alliteration is identified by the repetition of a consonant sound within the line of poetry, whereas assonance is determined by the repetition of a vowel sound within the line of poetry. Assonance occurs when two or more words close to one another repeat the similar vowel sound but begin with the different consonant sounds.

For example:

•    I feel restless and depressed.

•    The rain in spain falls mainly in the plains.

•    Fleet feet sweep by sleeping geeks.

•    Slow the low gradual moan came in the snowing.

•    If I bleat when I speak it‘s because I just got fleeced.

•    Merry went here and there and everywhere. 

•    On a proud rounding cloud.

Effect and importance of assonance in poetry

•    In poetry, assonance plays a significant role in creating a musical tone in the text.

•    It helps certain types of words to stand out.

•    It maintains a correct text flow.

•    Assonance adds internal rhyme and makes the sound of a poem rhythmic.

•    It is also used to give ‘hint’ for literary symbolism.

•    The assonance is used in poems to indicate important words, usually nouns.

•    It creates line between two ideas.

•    It also used by many poets to create a ‘bright sounding’ lines.

•    It is primarily ideal for the poems that are meant for reading purpose or for performance type poetry.

•    It relates to ideas that are visually expressed.

•    With right vowel sounds, the lines of a poem become more musical to the listener’s ear. Hence, it sets the mood of the reader or listener through long or high vowel sounds.

•    In the poetry, assonance has a subtler effect as compared to alliteration.