Sound Devices
Definition
Sound devices
Sound devices are language choices that create meaning through what a poem (or other text) sounds like when read aloud. They help a writer shape mood, pace, emphasis, and imagery, and they often make a line more memorable. In literary analysis, you do two key things:
(or: when writing sounds the way it feels)
- Some writing works because of what it says. Other writing works because of how it sounds in your head.
- That second one is sound devices.
Sound Devices Create "Sound Imagery" That Readers Can Feel
Sound in writing is not decoration, it is part of meaning. Sound imagery can:
- Recreate real sounds (so the scene feels immediate)
- Build atmosphere (tense, playful, eerie, calm)
- Reflect movement and rhythm (for example, fast action vs slow, heavy action)
- Emphasize key words and ideas
- Create contrast, such as a soft sound in a violent scene (or the reverse)
Tip
- In poetry, these choices are nearly always intentional, and they often work alongside visual imagery (simile, metaphor, personification, symbolism).
- A strong analysis connects the sound to the poem's message and emotional impact.
Alliteration Emphasizes Words Through Repeated Starting Consonant Sounds
Definition
Alliteration
Alliteration is the repetition of initial consonant sounds in a series of words.
- Alliteration repeats an initial consonant sound to create emphasis and texture. Because it is heard clearly, it can:
- Make a phrase feel more energetic or more controlled
- Highlight important ideas
- Mimic a sound or action (for example, a repeated hard sound can feel heavy or forceful)
- How To Comment On Alliteration In Analysis
- When you write about alliteration, push beyond "it repeats sounds." Ask:
- What kind of sound is it (soft, harsh, heavy, quick)?
- Does that sound match what is being described?
- What words are being emphasized, and why might they matter?
- When you write about alliteration, push beyond "it repeats sounds." Ask:
Tip
- A key detail: alliteration depends on sound, not spelling.
- Different letter combinations can create the same sound.
Example
- He battered and braced himself against the broken barrier, breath burning in his chest.
- Alliteration (hard "b" sound) can make a description feel effortful and forceful, which suits scenes of physical strain or frustration.
Common Mistake
- Do not "prove" alliteration by pointing to repeated letters if the sound changes.
- For example, "city" and "cat" repeat the letter c, but not the same starting sound.
Consonance Builds Texture Through Repeated Consonant Sounds Anywhere In Words
Definition
Consonance
Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds at the end or middle of words.
- Consonance is broader than alliteration. The repeated consonant sounds can appear in the middle or end of words, creating subtle musical patterning. It can:
- Give lines a tight, compressed feel
- Make language sound clipped or grinding (especially with hard consonants like k, t, g)
- Reinforce an atmosphere, such as tension or menace
Note
- Alliteration can be considered a type of consonance when the repeated consonant sounds appear at the beginnings of words, but in analysis it is usually clearer to name the most specific device you see.
Tip
- If you can hear the "echo" of a consonant sound even when the starting letters change, you are probably dealing with consonance rather than alliteration.
Assonance Creates Flow And Mood Through Repeated Vowel Sounds
Definition
Assonance
Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds within words.
- Assonance repeats vowel sounds, which often affects the smoothness and mood of a line. Different vowels can suggest different feelings:
- Long vowels can feel slow, open, or mournful
- Short vowels can feel quick, tense, or bright
- Assonance can also influence rhythm, helping a poem sound breathless, calm, or chant-like.
Tip
- In analysis, connect the vowel sound to pace and feeling.
- For example, repeated long "oo" sounds may create a drawn-out, echoing effect, while repeated short "i" sounds can feel sharp or urgent.
Onomatopoeia Makes Words Imitate Real Sounds
Definition
Onomatopoeia
Onomatopoeia is the use of words that imitate the sounds they describe.
- Onomatopoeia tries to reproduce sound directly, helping the reader "hear" the scene.
- Words such as "murmur," "hiss," "gurgle," "patter," "purr," "buzz," and "thud" imitate or strongly suggest the sounds they name.
- Onomatopoeia is especially powerful when a poem aims to make an experience feel immediate, such as violence, nature, machinery, crowds, or quiet intimacy.
Example
- In war poetry, onomatopoeia can recreate the chaos and brutality of conflict.
- For instance, the "rapid rattle" of rifles and the "patter" of shots make the reader hear gunfire as a relentless, mechanical rhythm.
Tip
- Onomatopoeia often overlaps with alliteration, consonance, or assonance.
- In analysis, you do not need to label every overlapping feature.
- If the key effect is "sound imitation," discussing it as onomatopoeia is usually sufficient.
How Sound Devices Work Together To Shape Meaning
- Writers rarely use sound devices in isolation. In effective lines, sound patterns layer to create a complex effect, for example:
- Alliteration + consonance to intensify harshness or pressure
- Cold, cracked concrete closed in as he clenched his jaw and pushed forward.
- Assonance + softer consonants to create calm, tenderness, or melancholy
- The low, slow glow of the evening settled over the field like a sigh.
- Onomatopoeia + fast rhythm to create immediacy and urgency
- Bang, crash, thud - the door slammed as footsteps raced down the hall.
- Alliteration + consonance to intensify harshness or pressure
- Sound can also create contrast. A gentle, flowing sound pattern used to describe something disturbing can make the disturbing content feel even more shocking.
Sound Devices Matter Outside Poetry Too (Features And Journalism)
- Sound devices also appear in feature articles and other nonfiction, especially when writers want a lively, personal voice.
- Feature writing is often more subjective than a straight news report, with more informal language and a stronger sense of the author.
- Sound choices can help a writer:
- Sound more conversational
- Build humour or irony
- Emphasize effort, annoyance, excitement, or amazement
Example
- “The buses bumped, banged, and belched their way through the street, a daily annoyance I could hear before I ever saw.”
- This shows:
- Alliteration and onomatopoeia for a conversational tone
- Humour and irritation through sound
- A personal, subjective voice, typical of feature writing
Using PEEL to analyse sound devices
P: Point
- Identify the sound device and its effect.
Example
- The writer uses alliteration to create a tense and urgent mood.
E: Evidence
- Quote a specific phrase that shows the sound.
Example
- This is evident in the phrase “the wind whipped wildly.”
E: Explain
- Explain how the sound works and what it suggests.
Example
- The repeated w sound creates a sharp, rushing rhythm, which mirrors fast movement and heightens the sense of urgency in the moment.
L: Link
- Link back to the same effect named in the Point.
Example
- As a result, the alliteration reinforces the tense and urgent mood of the scene.
Exam technique
- Avoid listing devices without explanation.
- One well-explained sound device is worth more than three devices named with no link to meaning.
- Focus on how the sound supports the writer's message, tone, and atmosphere.
Common Mistake
- Do not write "alliteration makes it sound nice" or "onomatopoeia creates imagery" without specifying what kind of sound and what kind of imagery.
- Always describe the specific effect in that line.
Exam technique
- Sentence starters for sound device analysis
- Identifying the device
- The writer uses alliteration / assonance / onomatopoeia to…
- This extract contains repeated sounds that…
- The rhythm of the line suggests…
- Using evidence
- This is shown in the phrase…
- The repetition of the sound “… ” creates…
- Explaining effect
- This sound creates a feeling of…
- The repeated sound mirrors…
- The rhythm slows down / speeds up the reader…
- Linking to bigger ideas
- As a result, the sound device reinforces the mood of…
- This use of sound contributes to the tone by…
- The sound effects heighten tension by…
- Identifying the device
Now it's your turn...
Example question
- Practice task: analysing sound devices
- Extract
- The clock ticked, tapped, and ticked again in the silent room.
- Your task
- Write one PEEL paragraph answering the question below.
- Question:
- How do sound devices shape the mood in this extract?
- What students should focus on
- identifying the sound device
- noticing repetition or rhythm
- explaining how the sound affects pacing
- linking sound to mood or tension
Solution
The writer uses onomatopoeia and repetition to create a tense and uneasy mood in the extract. This is evident in the phrase “The clock ticked, tapped, and ticked again,” where the repeated ticking sounds dominate the silence. The onomatopoeic words imitate the actual sound of the clock, while the repetition slows the pacing and draws attention to the passing time. This makes the silence feel heavier and increases the reader’s awareness of waiting and discomfort. As a result, the sound devices reinforce the tense and uneasy mood by making time itself feel oppressive.
- P: Point
- The writer uses onomatopoeia and repetition to create a tense and uneasy mood.
- E: Evidence
- This is shown in the phrase “The clock ticked, tapped, and ticked again.”
- E: Explain
- The onomatopoeic words copy the sound of the clock, while the repetition slows the pace of reading. This draws attention to the silence and makes the waiting feel uncomfortable and heavy.
- L: Link
- As a result, the sound devices reinforce the tense and uneasy mood by making the passing of time feel oppressive.
Self review
- Revision summary: sound devices, imagery, symbolism, and form
- Sound devices
- Shape how the poem sounds
- Create rhythm, pace, and mood
- Uses repetition, alliteration, onomatopoeia
- Answers: How does this sound when I read it?
- Imagery
- Creates sensory pictures
- Helps the reader see, hear, or feel the moment
- Answers: What does this look or feel like?
- Symbolism
- Gives images deeper meaning
- Objects or actions represent bigger ideas
- Answers: What does this stand for?
- Poetic form
- Controls the poem’s structure and shape
- Affects pacing, emphasis, and control
- Includes line length and stanza structure
- Answers: How is this poem built, and why?
- Sound devices
