Description: We will examine the poetic devices of assonance and consonance
Leader: Weirdelf
Objectives: To learn to use assonance and consonance in the context of free or structured verse
Level of expertise: Shark Pool, theoretically, but anyone interested will be able to grasp the concepts, probably more easily than meter.
Subject matter: We will define the terms in discussion then each attempt to write a really good poem using elements of both assonance and consonance avoiding alliteration where possible.
The real purpose of this workshop is that freeverse is so often just prose broken into lines. We need to learn all the tools in the poetic toolbox to make our poems memorable and reach into the psyche of our reader. If we are not going to do it by nurseryrhyming and sing-song meter we need more subtle craft.
PLEASE, EVERYONE WHO JOINS POST AT LEAST AN "I'M HERE" COMMENT ON THIS PAGE SO YOU GET NOTIFICATION OF UPDATES.
Please PM me, weirdelf, to join.
Ta Daaaaaaaaaa
I'm here! (I messaged you to add me btw.) What day does this one start?
I'm here.
Make of me a better poet. wesley
Jess
count me in
Lou
.
.
does this mean you would like to join the workshop?
if so you are welcome.
Here's a queer question.
I have only used assonance as a rhyming tool (end line). I hope you will still let me run a workshop later on rhyme in which we can talk about this.
The question now. I have written one alliterative piece (which is posted here). Is alliteration a form of consonance?
wesley
Good point.
strictly speaking assonance and consonance are used within a line, not at the end, so are not rhyming tools, more "sound" or "mood" tools, comparable in a way with Onomatopeia.
Assonance and consonance used at the end of a line as rhyming tools are more aptly described as partial or half rhymes.
Since alliteration refers to the first letter of words is can be assonance or consonance just depending if it's a vowel or a consonant. Get the drift?
We'll see how this workshop pans out whether separate more specific workshops are needed.
Jess
Ok I'm ready lol
Lou
Loud echo
anybody there?
Sorry all, got caught up in things.
Starting workshop tomorrow.
ok, to get things rolling lets talk about the terms
assonance and consonance. I'd like each of you to just post here what you think they mean now (not copy and pasting from an online dictionary) and give a three line example of each. And add what you think the difference is from rhyme and alliteration.
Then we'll write 3 lines of the same assonance and 3 lines of the same consonance, this is not as easy as it sounds by the way, and post them to "Assonance and consonance" workshop.
Definition
The definition of Assonance is the repetition of the central vowel sounds in a row of words,
Consonance means to repeat the central or ending consonant sounds in a row of words, and they are not always easy to detect. Where as Alliteration is the repetition of the sound that begin a group of words in a row and includes the stressed syllables, and is a lot more obvious for that reason.
Lou
cool!
and why are all three different from rhyme?
Jess
The main difference is with a rhyme you generally just rhyme the last word in every line, where as. With Assonance and consonance, you do it all the way through each line.
Lou
spot
on
I have to disagree with this last one.
A rhyme (proper or authentic) is two words of like vowel and consonant sounds preceded by an unlike consonant sound or no sound at all and... (this is the important part) they can appear anywhere in a line (internal rhyme, initial rhyme). So just because it is more common to rhyme the last sounds in the lines, rhyme is not restricted to that position in the line.
wesley
fair enough Wesley,
how then would you describe the difference between rhyme and assonance?
How about...
... what blue halcyon said. That's how I see it except I think consonance can use the initial consonant. Unfortunately, I think that would describe alliteration, so... I don't know. What blue said. wesley
**Ahem**
Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds with different consonants. (Words do not rhyme in the case of assonance.) Consonance is usually the repetition of ending consonant sounds. Alliteration is when the sounds of stressed syllables of a word are repeated in a line. In alliteration it can be a consonant or a vowel sound that is repeated.
Alliteration example: The evil elf eats every egg.
Assonance example: The elf’s felt hat smelled like hell.
Consonance example: Accusations stink; I think I need a drink!
(Let’s see if I managed to get these straight with the examples. **Waits to be hit with a ruler by the elf**) hehehe
You can usually find rhyme at the end of a line.
[the elf breaks his ruler over his own head]
I've realised I am really not clear myself on the difference between assonance and rhyme.
:-D
I must confess I've been using dictionary.com to help clarify my view of these tools. Evidently, rhyme is the identity in sound of some part of a word, but it's usually the end of the word. What I understand from reading different definitions and examples is that consonance can be used as a rhyming device. This would make sense, considering with consonance the ending consonants usually have the same sound, which is similar to the definition of rhyme. (With the same sounds usually at the end of the word.) However with rhyme, the end sound can be either a consonant or vowel sound, and the placement of the rhyming words is important. (If I'm understanding it all correctly. This is turning out to be more complicated than I had anticipated!)
Don't forget double and triple rhymes.
The rhyme is not always the last syllable.
Condenser/Dispenser... the last two syllables rhyme.
Practitioner/Petitioner... the last three syllables rhyme.
It seems that in our attempt to define what is NOT assonance/consonance (which by the way, is a double rhyme), we are covering a lot of the ground I was going to cover in a rhyme workshop. I only have thirteen different types of rhyme to discuss and we're cutting through a lot of them.
wesley
True
It's not always the last syllable - that's why I had said usually. ;-) Double and triple rhymes, of course, are not as common.
True rhyme
if we are talking about what is known as True rhyme, then the difference is rhyme uses words that sound and look similar , such as like, and bike , whereas assonance just uses the vowels and consonance just uses the consonants within words .
Lou
Jess
hope it's ok I've posted my three lines of assonence and consonance .
Lou
This was harder than I thought it would be.
Ever do I elevate my effort.
How about I cow tow in a minute.
I wonder and erect my ponder higher.
I place my face that I might chase the vision.
I slip my hopeless dogs in campsite’s girdle.
I’m going on to bomb and mayhem start.
My Attempt
Assonance
When sober Booze Hound is sound, yes he is solid
down to earth he is a bloke whose thoughts are coherent.
Thoughts are well founded and down right consistent
Consonance
Mad bad and low down
danger hides deep in the depths
Of his dirty debauched soul
Let us all wish The Elf a speedy recovery.
I thought about superstitiously arranging a great, hoary, running argument filled with vitriol and profanity to greet him when he returns, but I find I like the guy so I'm going to pass. If everyone wants to fight on their own that's your choice. It might get his blood pressure up and speed the recovery.
As I always do, I researched assonance and consonance as understood by the intelligentsia. I found that fully half of the discussions were about its use (specifically assonance) as a rhyme scheme. Our fearless leader does not subscribe to this and having written a poem with assonance as rhyme scheme, I must agree with him. I didn't like it. It seemed to me to have virtually no effect on the poem other than a certain dulling effect due to the absence of rhyme (I think you all know how much I like my rhyme). Jess tells us that it is to be used through the sentence to harden or soften the phrase. I have trouble seeing that.
Any thoughts on these specifics?
Our next assignment following the example sentences is to write a short piece using assonance or consonance (or both?) to good effect in the work. I'm more than commonly interested to "hear" everyone's submission (before mine probably), so as to hear how we at Neo use the concepts.
Please have at it. Also note that lou is the only one to post to this workshop's submissions and because it was only the example sentences that's no big deal. But please, when you post your small poem do so in submissions so it goes to The Stream. Thereby allowing everyone at Neo a chance to insult us.
Thank you.
Assistant Elf, wesley
You constant reference to lines as sentences
was enough provocation to drag me from my death bed.
Freeform poetry is still poetry, you fucking misguided snob.
Ut oh
What's wrong with the elf? :-(
Jess is ill.
Some sort of Faerie disease that we can't catch. He's snorting Pixie Dust and should be fine soon. wesley
Still crook folks, can't spend any time sitting at the screen,
viral migraine, seldom felt so aweful. Wesley has kindly agreed to take over till I can get my these demons with pokers dislodged from my head.
Misty, I see we're still waiting for your first exercise and comments on Wesley's (which was supposed to be posted as a workshop piece) and Lou's.
Next discuss how different syllable and consonant sounds fit different content. Discuss hard and soft consonants, different vowel sounds, long and short etc.
Finally choose a particular theme, imagery or mood and write a short piece using appropriate assonance and consonance.
That's worn me out,
see you soon.
Okay you deadbeats.
You heard the General. Get writing.
(you too wesley)
Who said that? Speak up or I'll have you flogged.
Hmmm......
Sorry to butt in. Seems assonance and consonance along with alliteration are best used to reinforce the rhythm and sometimes rhyme in poetry. It might be even more useful in free verse and poetic prose.........now back to the experts lol.....stan
Wait a minute.
Come back. Elaborate. Don't drop a bombshell then run away, I'm really confused here. wesley
Hi
See your shop poem"I seriously don't know how..........." my comment there might help show how it helped in one of my rhymers. Maybe I need to fins an example in free verse and/or poetic prose also? But be prepared to be bore by another example from My meager stock lol..........stan PS wish I had time to fully join in this shop
consider
words with long vowels and soft consonants might match well with air-water imagery, with langorous moods, with gentle themes, oppose that the hard or guttural consonants and short vowels, also consider the part the various sounds can play in pacing. Give examples.
You, Wesley seeem to be really struggling with this concept. A hint, its all in the sounds.
I am indeed struggling.
Beyond the discussions of long and short vowels in the Greek, what are examples in English? All of my vowels are of the same length. It takes no longer to pronounce and "o" than an "a".
How are you feeling?
wesley
I'm a bit better but stilll having problems concentrating
You would be surprised at how the ear and brain perceive the difference in vowel lengths, they are not the same! Without getting into a long discourse on phonetics short vowels between hard syllables are definitely shorter and create a faster pace than long vowels between soft syllables, stress plays a part too, of course. Consider the sound and feel difference between these two 4 syllable lines.
gits get hit back
languorously
I'm still here
I'm having more trouble keeping up than I had anticipated. :-/ I have too many things going on with work, school and taking care of the babies.
drop in when you can,
it's just getting interesting!
I'm sorry
Have not taken part there has been a family crisis
Lou
hope all is well now
best wishes
Hi
Its being sorted out, thanks Jess,
Ilou
Matching ass/con to content.
I wish we all had degrees in phonetics, it would make all this easier. But lets look at a few generalities.
Hard consonants like t and k lend themselves to fast pacing, incisive content, terse emotions.
short consonants s and h the opposite.
Vowels can be long and short, this does not necessarily reflet hoow long they take to pronounce.
bit bart, kit cart, hot naught.
Try it out, experiment with fifferent emotionns, imagery, pacing. Write something on air or relaxation with soft consonants and long vowels.Write about being in a hurry with the opposite.
The sounds like g, j, lend themselves to stuck emotional states. Yes really!
Experiment and see what you can come up with.
As I mentioned elsewhere compare these two lines, both 4 syllables
gits get hit back
languorously
Question
Assonance and Consonance,
do they have to run the full length of a piece of poetry or can they vary.
Can they be included in a few lines then rested.
Yours Ian.T
Bloody good question!
They should be used with discretion.
A poem full of alliteration is horrible.
Similarly ass/con should only be used where they enhance the content.
The exceptiion is perhaps a comic poem where the ass/con is part of the humour.
Jess
I wrote this a few days ago and didn't put it near to your workshop but if you say as answer to my question I will put it here for a viewing :-
Ass O'nance and Cons O'nance
Submitted by Ian.T on Wed, 2012-03-21 08:16
Ass O’ Nance, was weird, a little strange
One of the best from the west bank
Yet was completely absurd
Cons O’ Nance his younger brother
Didn’t conform or perform to anything norm
A parliamentarian he spoke the word
To change the world that we know
But as two brothers both did go
To war over a sticky thing called oil
They are now both immortal
As they gave their everything
What a waste I hear you cry
Yet we support this cause
Where our young men die.
Yours, Passerine .
I will add you to the workshop
then you can post it as a workshop poem, remember to tick "Assonance and workshop Workshop" near the bottom of the poet submission page.
The poem has no relevance to this page.