Editor's Corner

Ciao, cheery cherubic coworkers!

When I was looking at the list of rhetorical devices from Merriam-Webster, I thought I might skip alliteration because it’s one of the more common devices. I changed my mind, not wanting to show favoritism, so here I am with alliteration, and lots of examples. M-W defines alliteration as “the repetition of usually initial consonant sounds in two or more neighboring words or syllables.”

And now for the examples from my second resource: Literary Devices.

Everyday Examples

· rocky road

· big business

· jumping jacks

· no nonsense

· tough talk

· quick question

· money matters

· picture perfect

Pop Culture

· Coca-Cola®

· Dunkin’® Donuts

· Tonka™ Trucks

· Weight Watchers™

· Dippin’ Dots™

· Hip Hop

· Paw Patrol™

· Door Dash

· House Hunters

Here are just a few examples from the wonderful world of superheroes and cartoons. I’m sure you can think of many more!

· Bugs Bunny

· Clark Kent

· Daffy Duck

· Donald Duck

· Lex Luthor

· Lois Lane

· Mickey Mouse

· Pepper Potts

· Peppermint Patty

· Peter Parker

· Pig Pen

· Porky Pig

· Wonder Woman

Stan Lee, American writer, editor, publisher, and producer is responsible for many of the alliterative character names in comics and said:

I have the worst memory in the world, so I finally figured out, if I could give somebody a name, where the last name and the first name begin with the same letter, like Peter Parker, Bruce Banner, Matt Murdock, then if I could remember one name, it gave me a clue what the other one was, I knew it would begin with the same letter.

Back to our resource, Literary Devices, here is another explanation of the use of alliteration in literature:

The repetition of initial consonant sounds can have a pleasing effect for readers and listeners. In addition, it calls attention to the rhetorical and artistic impact of the words in that alliteration signifies that the alliterative words are linked purposefully and thematically.

Example: Romeo and Juliet (William Shakespeare)

From forth the fatal loins of these two foes
A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life;
Whose misadventured piteous overthrows
Doth with their death bury their parents’ strife.

Example: Alone (Maya Angelou)

There are some millionaires
With money they can’t use
Their wives run round like banshees
Their children sing the blues
They’ve got expensive doctors
To cure their hearts of stone.
But nobody
No, nobody
Can make it out here alone.

This literary device is a clever way to set a mood in literature or a speech, and it serves well to help us remember words from a song, or the name of our favorite comic book character. May you march to the hum of your own message and meet many mimes as you march. (Um…no, that’s more scary than fun.)

Kara Church | Technical Editor, Advisory | Knowledge Enablement

Pronouns: she/her | Call via Teams | jackhenry.com

Editor’s Corner Archives: https://episystechpubs.com/