Assonance

Assonance is the repetition of similar vowel sounds in nearby words, as in the long, low moan of the wind. A voice can hold and lengthen vowel sounds, so assonance affects the pace and music of a line. It often slows the line or gives it a rounded, echoing quality.

It is subtler than alliteration. It works on the reader's ear more than the eye and shapes mood without drawing attention to itself. Poets rely on it to create harmony and to knit the sounds of a line together.

In poetry analysis for Literature, commenting on assonance lets you discuss how a line sounds and moves. That is exactly the musical dimension examiners reward. Explaining how the repeated vowel slows or softens a line links sound to feeling.

In your own creative writing, a touch of assonance can give description a pleasing, deliberate rhythm that shows control of language.

"The deep green sea gleamed beneath the evening sky" repeats the long ee sound to stretch the line and give it a calm, drawn-out feel.

Identify the repeated vowel sound and read the line aloud in your head to hear its effect on pace and mood. Explain whether it slows, softens or lengthens the line, and connect that to the feeling of the moment. Avoid confusing it with rhyme; assonance repeats the vowel sound without necessarily matching the ends of words.

You may also find writing formats and annotated model responses useful. Next, visit our skills guides for IGCSE English to see terms like this used in real answers. Our IGCSE English tuition page explains how lessons run. When you are ready, the paid one-hour trial is the first step.