Biography poetry examples of assonance

Definition of Assonance

Assonance is a literary device in which the repetition of similar vowel sounds takes place in two or more words in proximity to each other within a line of poetry or prose. Assonance most often refers to the repetition of internal vowel sounds in words that do not end the same. For example, “he fell asleep under the cherry tree” is a phrase that features assonance with the repetition of the long “e” vowel, despite the fact that the words containing this vowel do not end in perfect rhymes. This allows writers the means of emphasizing important words in a phrase or line, as well as creating a sense of rhythm, enhancing mood, and offering a lyrical effect of words and sounds.

In his poem “Player Piano,” John Updike offers a powerful example of assonance for his reader in the line “never my numb plunker fumbles.” By repeating vowel sounds in “numb,” “plunker,” and “fumbles,” Updike is able to emphasize the “clunky” rhythm and sounds of thes