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Add Sound Effects By Mona Hodgson Through the use of alliteration, homonyms, and onomatopoeias, sound effects can help to draw your reader into your poem. As we look at each of them, watch for ways you can use them to add pizzazz to your poems. ALLITERATION Alliteration, the repetition of sound either in consonants or vowels, is one of many ear pleasing tools in your potential poetic palette. The repetition of “p’ in “potential poetic palette” is a demonstration of a mouthful of alliteration. Did you note the repetition of “ration” in “demonstration” and “alliteration?” More alliteration. My poem Breakthrough provides an example of its use within a poem. Breakthrough God breaks through chaos, cries, chatter not with fiery condemnation or condescending concern but with a whisper – “I care. I love you! Come away, spend time with me.” Replacing chaos with gentleness, cries with comfort, chatter with communion He speaks peace.[i] MH Your Turn Choose one of your existing poems and circle each use of alliteration. If you don’t find any, look for a sentence or a phrase that might offer a natural opportunity to use the repetition of sounds. If alliteration doesn’t seem to fit in that particular poem, you might consider using a homonym. HOMONYMS Homonyms are words that sound alike when pronounced, but they have different spellings and meanings. For instance: doe and dough, feet and feat, pray and prey, mall and maul, and sew and sow. Circle the homonyms in my poem Excuses. Excuses I would write, but Tea kettles scream, Pencils need sharpening, Telephones ring. Time for excuses Always abounds, Even when the right time to write isn’t found.[ii] MH Your Turn Read through your poem, looking for words that have a partner in sound. Circle them and see if using the homonym might work for that poem. Your thesaurus might help you find a noun or a verb with the same connotation as the one you’ve chosen that could serve as a homonym. Explore the possibility. Perhaps the third sound affect may serve your poem best, especially if it’s humorous verse and/or written with kids in mind. ONOMATOPOEIA WORDS Snap. Crackle. Pop. Do you find yourself suddenly hungry for a bowl of cereal or a marshmallow treat? Advertisers know the appeal of onomatopoeia words. Onomatopoeias are words that sound out their meaning. For instance: pow, swish, mush, jerk, slush, zap, spit, splat. Remember the television show Batman? The onomatopoeias flashed on the screen along with the action they described. My poem Autumn Acrobats demonstrates the inclusion of this third sound affect. Acrobats in fall colors twist and twirl above our heads soaring, diving, swinging on a frosty air trapeze.[iii] MH The combination and arrangement of the consonants and vowels in “twist,” “twirl,” “soar,” dive,” “swing,” and “frosty” sound out and imply their meaning. Saying them aloud will help you see that. In addition to the onomatopoeias in Autumn Acrobats, I used alliteration, featuring two different consonants—“s” and “t.” Your Turn
SOUNDING OFF FOR POETIC EFFECT Read a lot of poetry Anthologies give you the opportunity to taste a variety of forms and styles. Be sure to sample what’s being published today, along with past masterpieces. And don’t forget to read children’s poetry by Shel Siverstein, Jane Yolen, and others. Examine each poet’s use of word sounds. While you read poetry—yours and that of other poets, begin a list of examples of alliteration, homonyms, and the onomatopoeia words used. Play with words Poets are freed by the very nature of poetry to play with words. Keep your thesaurus handy. including or polishing the sound effects are part of the revision process. Use the “Your Turn” exercises with each of the sound effects mentioned to add pizzazz to your poems. Think pepper Temper your use of alliteration, homonyms, and onomatopoeias. Think of them as you would pepper. As is the case with any good seasoning, you’ll want to sprinkle your alliteration, homonyms, and onomatopoeias judiciously. Too much can cause your reader to sneeze partway through your poem and turn the page. Read your poem aloud Audible rehearsal of the sounds strung together will help you spot any pepper clusters, and determine if there should be any pepper at all in that particular poetic dish. Sometimes one light sprinkle is all you need. What’s that I hear? Hopefully, it’s a passel of poets playing with sound for the love of words.
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