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TJMF Publishing - Open Mike Cafe Editor's Desk Staff Editor Patty Zion |
Your Own Devices, Your Own Poem, Part Three
Euphony
By Patty Zion
Euphony (yoo fuh nee) is a poetic device using pleasant sound to enhance the effectiveness of a poem. Euphonic (yoo fahn ick) poetry is melodious; it uses vocal melody to delight the reader's ear as well as the brain. As poets, we have many specific methods available to create this richness or resonance.
Alliteration, probably the most familiar and easiest type of euphony, repeats an initial sound two or more times within close proximity. Also called initial rhyme, alliteration can reinforce the stresses of a line, making the meter even stronger. For instance, this line from The Day Is Done by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow:
The day is done, and the darkness . . .
As the opening line of the poem, this iambic trimeter sets up the reader's ear for three stresses in each line - a somewhat unusual metrical scheme. The D sounds fall exactly on the stressed syllables, giving the reader no doubt as to the rhythm to follow. This establishes a sense of organization for a poem with variable beats.
Consonance, a slightly reversed technique, places repeated consonant sounds at the ends of words. Consider this line from The Last Leaf by Oliver Wendell Holmes:
And a crook is in his back.
Rosalie Moore uses both alliteration and consonance in her poem, Catalogue.
Cats, when they sleep, slump.
and again,
Cats wait in a lump,
Jump in a streak.
As this example illustrates, consonance can provide a sense of rhyme and poesy even in a free verse work. This brings a feeling of organization and comfort to a loosely constructed piece.
Assonance uses a similar approach with vowel sounds. This method works well to express a mood - sad, joyful, funny - and can be quite memorable. Robert W. Service built an inspired piece of assonance in his poem, The Cremation of Sam McGee:
In the long, long night, by the lone firelight,
While the huskies, round in a ring,
Howled out their woes to the homeless snows,
Oh God, how I loathed the thing!
The reader feels the loneliness as the O and OW sounds carry their sad story. As a bonus, the huskies' voices come alive through a second technique - onomatopoeia.
Onomatopoeia mimics the sound of real life with a verbal imitation. The words imitate the sounds associated with the poem’s story or meaning. Rudyard Kipling used an ingenious bit of onomatopoeia in his poem, titled Boots.
Boots - boots - boots - boots - movin' up and down again!
The word boots, not usually thought of as a sound-associated word, comes on with a vengeance in its repetition. We can hear the marching of the boots. Similar lines work in this way throughout Kipling's poem.
The Pennsylvania poet Malcolm Cowley created a subtle line of onomatopoeia is his poem, The Wanderer.
. . . It was my own country,
Having its thunderclap of spring,
Its long, midsummer ripening,
Its corn hoar-stiff at harvesting
Almost like any country. . .
The K, F and ST sounds mimic the sound of corn being husked. This aural clue helps the reader move into the scene, hearing the action as well as seeing the ripe corn.
All these types of euphony - alliteration, consonance, assonance, and onomatopoeia - can work together or separately to custom-craft a poem with your intended meaning and style. As with all poetic devices, discretion is key to making it smooth and credible. Overcooked poetry, seeping sounds and sensations everywhere, simply feels too obvious. Choose carefully. Use only the devices that most accurately fashion the verbal sounds you need. Blend sound and sense.
One way to determine which sound device you need is to ask yourself a few questions about the poem you are working on.
Does it need a stronger sense of rhythm? (Alliteration, tied to the stresses, might work.) Does it seem to want a rhyming feeling? (Consonance is your choice.)
Does a strong mood permeate the poem? (Assonance can enhance the mood.)
Does the meaning need a closer connection to the sound? (Onomatopoeia to the rescue.)
When you have used the techniques skillfully and sparingly, the reader might not even notice them, but the poem will sound just right. It might resemble a jazz improvisation, a country love song, or a concerto; in any case, it will be in tune.
Exercise:
Write a poem in free verse, beginning with the words
It sounded like. . .
Use one of the euphonic techniques outlined above. Read the poem aloud to someone, and ask if they notice anything interesting about the sounds.
As you become more aware of sound in poetry, you will find more pleasure in what you read. Your own work will mature and take on a more lively atmosphere that readers will appreciate (even though they may not be aware of the techniques you use). Doesn't that sound like fun?
Staff Editor Patty Zion welcomes your editing questions and comments. You may reach her by e-mail at