Figurative Language: alliteration
Alliteration is a type of figurative language that is subtle but powerful. It uses the repetition of letters (often vowels, but consonants too) to elevate most every type of writing from poetry to fiction and even non-fiction.
Note in this journal entry, the alliteration with “i”: window, first, light, pink, line, pines and with “m”: move, gunmetal, masses. Note also that the letters used in the alliteration can be within the word as well as the first letter in the word.
TIP: Try journaling to improve your writing. This was an entry in my journal early one morning, as I was inspired not only by the color in the dawn sky, but by the movement of the dark clouds. I wrote about what inspired me first, then improved the single sentence with alliteration. Personification is a writing tool that is also present in this piece. See if you can find it.
But don’t take it from me. Read the lyrics to Bob Dylan’s “Mr Tamborine Man” to experience a master at work with alliteration.
