3.2.1 Alliteration
Alliteration is the repetition of the same initial consonant in a line or lines of poetry. Its function is primarily to reinforce meaning or focus attention on certain qualities or attributes but it is also a means the poet can use:
- To achieve unity in a line or stanza
- To create musical effects
- To assist in creating atmosphere, mood and tone
See the example of the use of alliteration in the stanza below:
He reached down from a fissure in the earth-wall in the gloom
And trailed his yellow-brown slackness
Soft-bellied down, over the edge of the stone trough
And rested his throat upon the stone bottom,
And where the water had dripped from the tap, in a small clearness,
He sipped with his straight gums,
Into his slack long body,
Silently.
A sense of unity in the experience which Lawrence witnessed in the progress and movements of the snake down into the trough is achieved with the repetition of the initial "s". It creates a fascination within the reader and denotes a tolerance from the poet towards a creature that many people fear. Here is a mood of silence and stealth. Most importantly, through the repetition of the initial "s" in several lines, Lawrence has been able to suggest the slithering movement of the snake.