The 7 effects of language continued Part 2 Welcome to the second part of the language effects. I am Lungelwa Phakathi your English studies lecturer.

Draw attention/highlight Sound devices will invariably draw the reader’s attention, mainly because of repetition, but also because of the unique quality of the sound. Onomatopoeia Alliteration Assonance Rhyme The next effect of language is to draw the reader’s attention or highlight a certain point. We shall explore this effect by discussing sound devices, which are onomatopoeia, alliteration, assonance and rhyme. With sound devices the analysis focuses on “What” and “Why”, which means you identify an example of the device and give its effect.

Alliteration By repeating the same consonant sound in successive words, attention is immediately drawn to those words, however you may find that your attention is drawn in order to highlight a certain point/message. e.g. “Call country ants to harvest offices” (The Sun Rising: 8) The sharp ‘k’ sound draws attention to the word call and reiterates the idea of drawing the ants’ attention when they are called. This sharpness of sound can be assimilated to the sharpness of the sun as it rises, it does draw the attention of all living things with its light. Starting with alliteration, note how your attention is drawn to the words with a similar sound. After your attention has been captured you start noticing other things, like how a certain point is highlighted, as in the given example. Note again how other effects are tapped on, like “reiteration”.

Another Alliteration e.g. “Thou, sun, art half as happy as we,” (The Sun Rising: 25,John Donne) Note how the voiceless ‘h’ sound is separated by “as”, however it is still close enough to be effective. Its lightness draws attention through its uniqueness because all the other consonant sounds in the line are voiced (heavy). This highlights the diminished happiness of the sun compared to the lovers who are twice as happy, which raises an expectation of heavy/voiced consonants being used when describing the lovers. In this example, although the words with the same sound are separated, they are still close enough for the sound to be effective. Here we focus on the quality of sound and what meaning it conveys in that context.

Onomatopoeia What draws attention in this device is the unique quality of imitating sound through words. In some cases the words created would not even be found in the dictionary, but they are easily understandable within the context they are used. e.g. “… she watched her last debtor approach, vooping his oversized overalls.”(The Shebeen Queen: 4) You cannot miss that strange word even if you tried, its sound gives an idea of excess material flapping about as he walks, because his overall is a size or two bigger. With onomatopoeia, the imitation of sound, sometimes using self-created words as in the example here, immediately draws the reader’s attention and the sound imitated gives an idea of the situation, through the image it creates.

Assonance While the repetition of the same vowel sound in successive words could also draw attention, not many poets focus on this; in most cases it seems to happen accidentally and has no significance. e.g. “Thou, sun, art half as happy as we” The colour coding should alert you to the difference in these vowel sounds, even though the same vowel is used. The repetition in this case does not seem to have any significance. Identifying Assonance before one can analyse it, is tricky for most people, because they look instead of listening. Remember that Assonance is a sound device, therefore we focus on sound. The example given shows clearly how the same letter can sound different when pronounced in different words, so please be careful when identifying this device. The instant your ear catches the same vowel sound in close succession, your attention will be captured.

More on the Vowel Sound Noting the difference in the vowel sounds in the previous example becomes crucial when working out Rhyme. “Busy old fool, unruly sun, Why dost thou thus, Through windows and through curtains, call on us? Must to thy motions lovers’ seasons run?” (The Rising Sun: 1-4) The colour coding shows you which words rhyme, since the focus is on the vowel sound at the end, not the whole word. Vowel sounds are crucial when working out Rhyme, even though they are accompanied by consonants, since with Rhyme the focus is on the last syllable of the word as illustrated in the example. The effect of using certain vowel sounds not only draws attention, but creates patterns which will be explored in the next two slides.

Rhyme If you are familiar with sonnets you will note that they usually have an interesting Rhyme scheme; other poems also use their own pattern for a different effect. The first four lines quoted from The Sun Rising (previous slide) show the beginnings of a unique pattern (abba). If you continue it is (cdcdee) and this pattern is sort of repeated in the next two stanzas, with different letters because the sounds change. (fggfhihijj and kllkmnmnoo) The last words in the first and fourth line in each stanza rhyme, the second and third also rhyme then the next four lines alternate with the last two also rhyming. Once you have been drawn to the uniqueness of this pattern you will be compelled to think of its significance. The example given here clarifies these patterns I mentioned. You will have to do some research on sonnets and their unique rhyme scheme, which helps you differentiate between an Italian or Elizabethan sonnet. This differentiation is also part of the effect of the use of rhyme which transcends just having your attention drawn. In this example you will note how it creates a certain rhythm. Once you have been drawn to the uniqueness of this pattern you will be compelled to think of its significance.

Rhyme continued In The Sun Rising, the poet chastises the sun for disturbing lovers by rising and shining through windows and curtains. When the sun rises, although it might be obscured by clouds for a while, the process of rising does not reverse or stop and that is reflected in the letters of the rhyme scheme that continue from stanza to stanza, with only a slight repetition. (The rhyme scheme therefore gives an idea of continuity in the process of the sun rising.) As shown in this discussion, the structured repetition of similar vowel sounds not only drawn attention, but has created a rhyme scheme that gives an idea of continuity in the process of the sun rising.

As you did in part 1, it is advisable to use varied sources to identify the devices discussed in these slides with your family and discuss their effects in the different contexts where they have been used. You may be surprised at how quickly little children can identify similar sounds. I hope this will be useful, thank you.