Stylistic classification of the english vocabulary

b) Alliteration

Alliteration is a phonetic stylistic device which aims at making a melodic effect to the utterance. It is ba­sed on the reiteration of initial similar consonant sounds in close succession, particularly at the beginning of suc­cessive word. E.g.: And the day is dark and dreary; no pay, no play; fate and fortune.

Alliteration is generally regarded as a musical accom­paniment of the authors idea, supporting it with some vague emotional atmosphere which each reader interprets for himself. Thus the repetition of a certain sound prompts the feeling of anxiety, fear, horror, anguish or all these feelings simultaneously.

Alliteration is often used in poetry, emotive prose and the style of mass media (specially headlines) as well as in proverbs and sayings.

In old English poetry alliteration was one of the basic principles of verse. That is why it is widely used in folk­lore.

In old English poetry alliteration was one of the basic principles of verse and considered to be its main charac­teristic. Each stressed meaningful word in a line had to be­gin with the same sound or combination of sounds.

The tradition of folklore are stable and alliteration as a structural device of Old English poems and songs has shown remarkable continuity. It is frequently used as a well-tested means not only in verse but in emotive prose, in newspaper headlines.

In texts alliteration is used to attract the reader's at­tention, to make certain parts of the text more prominent:

The place of light, of literacy and learning. Live and Learn. Look before you leap.

The titles of some books are alliterated:

School for Scandal; Sense and sensibility; Silver Spoon.

Many proverbs and sayings are built on alliteration:

safe and sound; blind as a bat; neck or nothing; out of the frying pan into the fire; to rob Peter to pay Paul.

In English belles-lettres style alliteration is regarded as an emphatic phonetic means that aims at producing a strong melodical and emotional effect.