sounds in poetry

Sounds in poetry and in novels create a specific tone which carries throughout the entire work. Sounds are expressed through literary terms such as alliteration, assonance, and onomatopoeia. Different letters connote different types of tones. For example plosive consonants such as b or p demonstrate harsh tones. In "Out, Out", Frost uses onomatopoeia to express a harsh tone as the poem is about a boy that has his hand cut off. "The buzz-saw snarled and rattled in the yard". Frost uses the words snarled and rattled to make the poem seem more realistic and to project a vivid image into the readers head. Moreover, in "Hamlet", Shakespeare employs vulgar language to connote an angry tone: "You jig, you amble, and you lisp;". Hamlet calls Ophelia these names which imply a negative tone to the scene and give the situation an unpleasant sound.