Assonance facts for kids

Assonance is a fun sound trick used in language, especially in poems and songs! It happens when words close to each other have the same or very similar vowel sounds. Think of words like "meat" and "bean" – they share the "ee" sound. It's like a mini-rhyme, but it focuses on the vowel sounds inside the words, not just the ending sounds.

Sometimes, assonance can also happen with similar consonant sounds, like "keep" and "cape." When it's mostly about consonants, it's often called "consonance." Assonance is a big deal in poetry because it helps create a musical feeling and connects words in a cool way. You'll find it a lot in English poems, and it's super important in languages like Spanish and Celtic languages too.

What is Assonance?

Assonance is a literary device that makes writing sound more interesting. It's all about repeating vowel sounds in words that are close together. This repetition doesn't have to be at the very end of the words, like in a full rhyme. Instead, it can be anywhere in the word, as long as the sound is noticeable.

For example, in the phrase "The cat sat on the mat," the "a" sound is repeated. This creates a rhythm and a connection between the words. It helps to make sentences flow nicely and can even add to the mood or feeling of what you're reading or hearing.

Assonance in Poetry and Songs

Writers and songwriters use assonance to add musicality and emphasis to their work. It helps to link lines or phrases together, even if they don't fully rhyme. This makes the text more memorable and enjoyable to read or listen to.

Here are some examples from famous poems and songs:

• In Samuel Taylor Coleridge's "Frost at Midnight":

That solitude which suits abstruser musings

Notice the repeated "oo" sound.

• From E. E. Cummings:

on a proud round cloud in white high night

Here, you can hear the "ow" sound in "proud," "round," "cloud," and the "i" sound in "white," "high," "night."

• From William Shakespeare's "Sonnet 1":

His tender heir might bear his memory

The "e" sound is repeated in "tender," "heir," "bear," and "memory."

Assonance in Everyday Language and Prose

Assonance isn't just for poems and songs; it pops up in everyday language and stories too! It can make sentences more catchy or pleasant to say.

• In James Joyce's A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man:

Soft language issued from their spitless lips as they swished in low circles round and round the field, winding hither and thither through the weeds.

The "i" sound is repeated many times, creating a soft, flowing feel.

• From Kenneth Grahame's The Wind in the Willows:

The Willow-Wren was twittering his thin little song, hidden himself in the dark selvedge of the river bank.

Again, the "i" and "e" sounds are repeated, making the description more vivid.

Assonance in Hip Hop and Popular Music

Many artists use assonance to make their lyrics flow and sound good, especially in hip hop and pop songs. It adds a rhythmic quality even without strict rhymes.

• From Eminem's "Without Me":

Some vodka that'll jumpstart my heart quicker than a shock when I get shocked at the hospital by the doctor when I'm not cooperating when I'm rocking the table when he's operating...

The "o" sound is repeated many times, creating a strong, driving rhythm.

• From Big Pun's "Twinz":

Dead in the middle of little Italy little did we know that we riddled some middleman who didn't do diddly.

The quick repetition of the "i" sound makes the lyrics fast and impactful.

• From Thin Lizzy's "With Love":

I must confess that in my quest I felt depressed and restless

The "e" sound creates a sense of weariness.

• From Keaton Henson's "Small Hands":

Dot my I's with eyebrow pencils, close my eyelids, hide my eyes. I'll be idle in my ideals. Think of nothing else but I

The "i" and "y" sounds are used to create a dreamy, introspective mood.

Assonance in Proverbs

You can also find assonance in common sayings and proverbs, which makes them easy to remember.

• The squeaky wheel gets the grease.

The "ea" and "ee" sounds are repeated.

• The early bird catches the worm.

The "er" sound is repeated.

Some proverbs from Afghanistan, in the Pashto language, also use assonance:

• La zra na bal zra ta laar shta. "From one heart to another there is a way."
• Kha ghar lwar day pa sar laar lary. "Even if a mountain is very high, there is a path to the top."

See also

In Spanish: Asonancia para niños

• Alliteration
• Literary consonance