“I Wandered lonely as a cloud”, “Beside the lake, beneath the trees,” and “Continuous as the stars that shine” are famous lines that use alliteration. William Wordsworth was the master of using this literary device. He delivers it with meaningful statements and creatively defines the subject of the poem. William Wordsworth was the master of it. In this article, we will discuss alliteration examples composed by William Wordsworth.
Alliteration in William Wordsworth’s poems
William Wordsworth creates a rhythmic image in his poetry while using the repetition of constant sounds. In his poems “I Wandered as a Cloud”, “The Prelude” and “To My Sister” he uses alliteration in several instances. The following are the examples:
I Wandered as a Cloud
- “I Wandered lonely as a cloud”
- Alliteration in “wandered” and “lonely”
- “Ten thousand saw I at a glance”
- Alliteration in “ten” and “thousand.”
- “Beside the lake, beneath the trees,”
- Alliteration in “beside” and “beneath.”
- “Continuous as the stars that shine”
- Alliteration in “continuous” and “stars.”
The Prelude
- “A little boat tied to a willow tree”
- Alliteration in “boat” and “tied.”
- “And from the westering ridge of a hill’s sharp edge”
- Alliteration in “westering,” “ridge,” and “sharp.”
- “Its frozen surface, smooth as sky or stream”
- Alliteration in “frozen,” “surface,” and “smooth.”
- “This solitary rock a firmament”
- Alliteration in “solitary” and “rock.”
To My Sister
- “Love, now a universal birth,”
- Alliteration in “Love” and “Universal.”
- “Our minds shall drink at every pore”
- Alliteration in “minds” and “drink.”
- “The voice of lonely winds that wander”
- Alliteration is found in the repeated “w” sound in “winds” and “wander.
How to use alliteration?
Often it happens to me while writing poetry that alliteration spontaneously comes out of the mind. The subjects which you firmly believe and feel deeply then your pen or keyboard start producing the sounds which restrict the airflow of the vocal tract.
Final Thoughts
Alliteration shows the emphasis on certain words or phrases. In general, this literary technique is often used in poetry than in prose to create a pleasing rhythm. William Wordsworth, the romantic poet creates a sense of the natural world and highlights the beauty of nature using alliteration. Readers make a connection with the sounds of nature because of the usage of the repetition of constant sounds. William Wordsworth uses the sounds of wind in the trees. That sound of waves crashing on the shore.
Furthermore, the use of alliteration represents a sense of energy. For example, readers can find in “The sounding cataract leaps in glory.” In addition, it is a powerful tool to enhance variety in poetry. These sounds create a strong emotional bond with readers and create cohesion within a poem.
