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Consonance
 
 
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Consonance is a stylistic device
Stylistic device

In literature and writing, a stylistic device is the use of any of a variety of techniques to give an auxiliary meaning, idea, or feeling to the literal or written....
, often used in poetry
Poetry

Poetry is a form of literature art in which language is used for its aesthetics and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning ....
 characterized by the repetition of two or more consonants using different vowels, for example, the "i" and "a" followed by the "tter" sound in "pitter patter." It repeats the consonant sounds but not vowel sounds. This is not to be confused with assonance
Assonance

Assonance is repetition of vowel to create internal rhyme within phrases or sentences, and together with alliteration and Literary consonance serves as one of the building blocks of Poetry....
, which is the repetition of only vowel sounds. Alliteration
Alliteration

Alliteration is the repeated occurrence of a consonant sound at the beginning of several words in the same phrase. Consonance is the repetition of the same consonant sound anywhere in a string of words, not just the initial sound as is in alliteration....
 differs from consonance insofar as alliteration requires the repeated consonant sound to be at the beginning of each word, while in consonance the repeated sounds can occur anywhere within the word, although often at the end.






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Consonance is a stylistic device
Stylistic device

In literature and writing, a stylistic device is the use of any of a variety of techniques to give an auxiliary meaning, idea, or feeling to the literal or written....
, often used in poetry
Poetry

Poetry is a form of literature art in which language is used for its aesthetics and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning ....
 characterized by the repetition of two or more consonants using different vowels, for example, the "i" and "a" followed by the "tter" sound in "pitter patter." It repeats the consonant sounds but not vowel sounds. This is not to be confused with assonance
Assonance

Assonance is repetition of vowel to create internal rhyme within phrases or sentences, and together with alliteration and Literary consonance serves as one of the building blocks of Poetry....
, which is the repetition of only vowel sounds. Alliteration
Alliteration

Alliteration is the repeated occurrence of a consonant sound at the beginning of several words in the same phrase. Consonance is the repetition of the same consonant sound anywhere in a string of words, not just the initial sound as is in alliteration....
 differs from consonance insofar as alliteration requires the repeated consonant sound to be at the beginning of each word, while in consonance the repeated sounds can occur anywhere within the word, although often at the end. In half rhyme
Half rhyme

Half rhyme, sometimes called slant, sprung, near rhyme, oblique rhyme, off rhyme or imperfect rhyme is consonance on the final consonants of the words involved....
, the terminal consonant sound is repeated.

A special species of consonance is using a series of sibilant sounds (/s/ and /sh/ for example); this is sometimes known simply as sibilance. Several examples of sibilance come from Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe

Edgar Allan Poe was an American poet, Short story writer, Editing and Literary criticism, and is considered part of the American Romanticism. Best known for his tales of Mystery and the macabre, Poe was one of the earliest American practitioners of the short story and is considered the inventor of the Detective fiction genre....
's "The Raven
The Raven

"The Raven" is a narrative poetry by the United States writer Edgar Allan Poe, first published in January 1845. It is noted for its musicality, stylized language, and supernatural atmosphere....
." For example: "And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain" (note that this example also contains assonance
Assonance

Assonance is repetition of vowel to create internal rhyme within phrases or sentences, and together with alliteration and Literary consonance serves as one of the building blocks of Poetry....
 around the "ur" sound). Another example of consonance is the word 'sibilance' itself.

Further examples of consonance can be found in Hip-hop music. For example in the song Zealots by the popular group the Fugees: 'Rap rejects my tape deck, ejects projectile/Whether Jew or gentile I rank top percentile.'

It is important to recognize the difference between alliteration and consonance. Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds within the words, while alliteration is the repetition of beginning consonant sounds. They are similar, but produce a different effect, and are interpreted into two completely different things in poetic analysis. For example, the sentence "Few flocked to the fight" is considered to display alliteration, because the only repetition occurs in the "f" sounds at the beginnings of the words. On the other hand, "All mammals named Sam are clammy" shows consonance, as the repeating consonant sound "m" is found within the words. The technique can also be used in novels.

See also

  • Assonance
    Assonance

    Assonance is repetition of vowel to create internal rhyme within phrases or sentences, and together with alliteration and Literary consonance serves as one of the building blocks of Poetry....
  • Alliteration
    Alliteration

    Alliteration is the repeated occurrence of a consonant sound at the beginning of several words in the same phrase. Consonance is the repetition of the same consonant sound anywhere in a string of words, not just the initial sound as is in alliteration....
  • Rhyming