ALLITERATION

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ALLITERATION AND ONOMATOPOEIA
EXAMPLES By Becky Glass
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RULES

• Proper alliteration is NOT a repetition of
  letters, it is a repetition of sounds.
• For example, fish and physics alliterate because
  they begin with the same consonant sound (f) -
  even though the initial letters are different.
• Conversely, tin and thin do not alliterate,
  because they begin with different consonant
  sounds, even though they start with the same
  letter.

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• Alliteration is NOT just repeating consonant
  
• sounds at the beginning of words.
• What matters is the strongest, stressed syllable
  of a word. The only consonant which counts is the
  one that starts the syllable with strongest
  stress.
• For example, below the belt is NOT a good
  alliteration, because stress naturally falls on
  the second syllable of below, so you would have
  to alliterate on l not on b.
• On the other hand, above the belt is a good
  alliteration, because the stressed syllables both
  start with b.

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A Song from the Sudsa poem by Louisa May Alcott

• Queen of my tub, I merrily sing,While the white
  foam raises high,And sturdily wash, and rinse,
  and wring,And fasten the clothes to dry Then
  out in the free fresh air they swing,Under the
  sunny sky.

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I wish we could wash from our hearts and our
soulsThe stains of the week away,And let water
and air by their magic makeOurselves as pure as
they Then on the earth there would be indeedA
glorious washing day!
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• Along the path of a useful lifeWill heart's-ease
  ever bloom The busy mind has no time to
  thinkOf sorrow, or care, or gloom And anxious
  thoughts may be swept awayAs we busily wield a
  broom.
•  

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I am glad a task to me is givenTo labor at day
by dayFor it brings me health, and strength,
and hope,And I cheerfully learn to say-"Head,
you may think heart, you may feelBut hand, you
shall work always!"
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THE TYGERBYWilliam Blake 1757-1827

• Tyger, tyger burning bright, In the forest of
  the nightWhat immortal hand or eyeCould name
  thy fearful symmetry?
• In what distant deeps or skiesBurnt the fire of
  thine eyes?On what wings dare he aspire?What
  the hand dare seize the fire?

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• And what shoulder what the artCould twist the
  sinews of thy heart?And when thy heart began to
  beatWhat dread and? what dread feet?atDare
  its deadly terrors clasp?
• When the stars threw down their spearsAnd
  water'd heaven with their tears,Did he smile his
  work to see?Did he who made the Lamb make thee?
• Tyger, Tyger burning bright,In the forests of
  the nightWhat immortal hand or eyeDare frame
  thy fearful symmetry

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ONOMATOPOEIA THE IMITATION OF SOUND
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Flick, the lights go on, Clap! Shout! The show
must go on Screech, bump, the microphone's
gone! Click, clack, goes the shoes Swoosh, creak,
the curtains open Ding, dong, the bells
ring Ting, Tang, the triangles go, "And they
lived happily ever after." Laughter, cheering,
"encore" the show is done.
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Drip drip drop drop It's raining today. I'm so
bored . I want to play. I want to play in the
rain. I don't care if I get wet. But my Mom won't
let me out. Ho hum!
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Splash splash, oops! I slipped on the
cement. Splish, splat, crack! I'm really
hurt Whir Whir Ambulance!  By seventh
grade students.