Assonance: Examples of Assonance

Often we just tend to go through beautifully crafted sentences, prose and poetry and marvel at the flow of words. This effect can be achieved through literary devices or techniques of using language. Though literary devices appear regularly in poetry, a considerable number of prose also tends to contain such devices. As a literature enthusiast, I strongly feel that well thought out and well framed sentences that contain pretty emotions usually have such literary devices. A common literary device that can be observed in several different forms of prose and poetry of the English language is assonance. Many day-to-day sentences can also be found that contain examples of assonance.

For example, ...many day to day sentences...

Let us take a look at the definition and meaning of assonance, after which we will see some examples.

What is Assonance

The concept of assonance is quite parallel to that of alliteration and consonance. The three stylistic devices aim at the repetition of certain sounds. Assonance is repetition of the vowel sound in the same sentence or in the meter of the poem. The concept is prevalent more on the basis of sound hence, soft or insignificant, or silent sentence pronunciations are usually not considered to be an assonance construction.

Some common conditions that assonance constructions include...

• The repetitive sound must be that of vowels (A, E, I, O, U).
• The repetition must me quite systematic and is possible placed at an equivalent interval.
• Some literary experts may argue that the assonance construction cannot be a part of a simple rhyme or a rhyme scheme.
• It is a convention to have assonance in a singular sentence or line, it is rarely spread across more than one sentence.

Some Examples of Assonance

As mentioned above assonance is found in several forms of prose and poetry. The following can also be treated as assonance examples for kids. The examples have been divided into songs and poetry. Have a look...

Assonance Examples in Poetry
Or hear old Triton blow his wreathed horn.
Or hear old Triton blow his wreathed horn.

The verse from the legendary poem 'the world is too much without us' by honorary William Wordsworth and commonly quoted as an assonance example. The sound of 'O' is the assonance that is observed.

Hear the mellow wedding bells

The assonance of e's by Edgar Allan Poe in the poem the Bells is noteworthy example.

And murmuring of innumerable bees

Lord Alfred Tennyson is known for some of the best usages of literary devices. The beautiful mounting of the e vowel into the diminished note of r, is unintentional on the poets parts but the gives a thrilling depiction of honest emotions.

Instances of assonance in poems are really countless, if you observe properly, you find such examples in almost all kinds of poetry that you read.

Assonance Examples in Songs
Modern song writers also use some beautiful assonance constructions in their lyrics. Here are some examples...

And in the air the fireflies
Our only light in paradise
We'll show the world they were wrong
And teach them all to sing along

In this very nice song by Nickelback, we have a nice gradual assonance if i's in the first two lines followed by an assonance of 'e'

The song Fade to Black by heavy metal legends 'Metallica' can also be not forgotten...

Life it seems will fade away
Drifting further every day
Getting lost within myself
Nothing matters, no one else

The assonance of e's is striking in the entire song.

It must be noted that some literary experts may beg to differ, however the aforementioned is an interpretation and the assonance examples have been kept quite simple.