Assonance

Prepared by;
Novie S. Velasquez
Master Teacher I
Mabini II Elementary School
 Let us recall
Answering their
assignment>>>>
ASSONANCE
Definition of Assonance
Assonance is the repetition of a vowel sound or diphthong in non-rhyming words. To qualify as
assonance, the words must be close enough for the repetition of the sound to be noticeable.
Assonance is a common literary technique used in poetry and prose, and is widely found in
English verse.
Difference Between Assonance,
Consonance, and Alliteration, and Slant
Rhyme
The techniques of
assonance, alliteration, consonance, sibilance,
and slant rhyme
are all closely related and include the repetition
of certain sounds in quick succession .
 Consonance: Literary consonance is the repetition of the same consonant sounds. Like assonance,
the repetition must be close enough to register in the ear of the listener. The repetition can happen
anywhere in the words. Since the definition of assonance only includes vowel sounds, assonance
and consonance can be understood to describe the same phenomena, yet with opposite meanings (an
easy way to remember which one is which is that the word “assonance” starts with a vowel and the
word “consonance” starts with a consonant). One such example of consonance is the “l” sound from
Mary Oliver’s poem “Wild Geese”: “You only have to let the soft animal of your body / love what
itloves.”
 Alliteration: Alliteration is a special case of consonance and
refers to the repetition of consonant sounds or blends at the
beginning of words or in the stressed syllables of a line.
Since consonance may happen anywhere in a word, the
concepts are related but not identical. Historically,
alliteration may also use different consonant sounds with
similar properties, like the sounds “z” and “s”. Lord Byron
uses alliteration in his poem “She Walks in Beauty,” as
shown here: “She walks in beauty, like the night /
Of cloudlessclimes and starry skies.”
 Sibilance: Sibilance is another special case of consonance wherein
the consonant sound that is repeated is “s” or “sh”, which are called
sibilant sounds. This example from Seamus Heaney’s translation
of Beowulf contains sibilance: “There was Shield Sheafson,scourge
of many tribes.”
Slant rhyme or half rhyme: Slant rhyme includes the repetition of sounds that are similar but
not quite rhyming. Usual y the consonant sounds are repeated while the vowel sounds are
dif erent, or the vowel sounds are the same while the consonants are dif erent. Thus, slant rhyme
can use either consonance or as onance, or it can be a combination of the two.
There are many other names for this type of rhyme, including lazy rhyme, near rhyme,
approximate rhyme, suspended rhyme, imperfect rhyme, inexact rhyme, off rhyme, or analyzed
rhyme.
It is especial ycom on in hip-hop lyrics. The fol owingexample is from a songcal ed “Lit le
Mercy” byhip-hop group Do mtre :
“We broke our backs stacking bricks / We never broke our promises.” In this instance, there are
several repeated sounds: the “b” in broke, backs, and bricks; the “k” in broke, backs, stacking,
and bricks; the “a” in backs and stacking; and the “i” in bricks and promises.
Several proverbs in English contain examples of assonance. The assonance in these phrases helps
to make them more memorable in a subtler way than through rhyming words. A few of these
proverbs are highlighted below:
 The early bird catches the
worm.
 Honesty is the best policy.
 Let the cat out of the bag.
 A stitch in time saves nine.
 The squeaky wheel gets the
grease.
 Examples of Assonance From Literature
Example #1
I never heard before of a ship so well
furbished
with battle tackle…
…no wise man in hall or weathered veteran…
…asleep from their feasting…
…they wept to heaven…
(Beowulf translated by Seamus Heaney
Example #2
Of princes, shall outlive this powerful rhyme;
But you shall shine more bright in these contents…
(Sonnet 55 by Shakespeare)
This excerpt from Shakepeare’s Sonnet 55 contains two
different assonance examples; the first is the short “i” sound in
“princes” and “outlive” and the second is the long “i” sound in
“shine” and “bright.”
Example #3
These things are with us every day
even on beachheads and biers. They
do have meaning. They’re strong as rocks.

(“Today” by Frank O’Hara)

Example #4
Stem end and blossom end,
And every fleck of russet showing clear

(“After Apple-Picking” by Robert Frost)

Example #5
But some punks want to jump up
With a sharp tongue and their fronts up
Like we got here by dumb luck
But they just want to become us.

(“Bangarang” by Doomtree)
Activity

•Group yourselves into four

•Get an English book
•Copy an example of assonance
•Recite it in the class.
Assignment:
Complete the passage of a poem
by an assonance:
1.O____! my ____! Our fearful trip is
done.
2.Drum your ____,batter on your
banjos.
3.Tis I O my______ ,raising a song
unto thee.
4.Orange blossoms_____ on your
hair.
5.Farewell ,dear ____ ,clime of the
sun caressed.
Thank You
for
Listening……