Alliteration provides an alternative rhythm in poetry, with a rich tradition in English. It repeats the first stressed sound in a word, providing structure and rhythm. Alliterative verse in Old English had a specific structure, and the function of alliteration is more difficult to reproduce in modern English due to language development and changing poetic styles.
The function of alliteration in poetry is to provide an alternative rhythm or meter to the poem. It provides another option for the poet when he considers how he should compose the last poem. Other options include meter change, rhyme, and free verse. Alliteration has a rich tradition in English and formed the basis of pre-1066 English poetic forms. Alliteration does not affect the theme or content of the poem.
Alliteration is the repetition of the first stressed sound in a word. This often appears as successive words starting with the same letter, however, not all letters are pronounced the same and true alliteration replicates the stressed syllable. Sometimes the stressed syllable will be the second or third syllable of the word, but rarely, if ever, the final syllable.
The sequence of words with repeating syllables provides both structure and rhythm. Alliteration in poetry has both a visual and aural function. Repeated sounds allow the syllable to amplify as each word is pronounced. This is used to emphasize the beauty of the language being used.
In terms of structure, the alliteration used in the poem is far from free verse. Alliterative verse in Old English had a specific structure. Each row was divided into two half rows; the first mezzo-line contained two alliterative syllables and the second mezzo-line one. The last stressed syllable of the verse, for a total of four, would not be phonologically related to the previous three. A segment from “Beowulf,” a famous Old English poem, can be used to demonstrate this:
“Oft Scyld Scefing sceaþena þreatum,
monegum mægþum meodosetla ofteah,
egsode eorlas, syððanærest wearð
money theft fund; he is frofre gebad,
weox under wolcnum weorðmyndum þah”
The rhythmic function of alliteration in poetry becomes evident when the poem is read aloud. The visual function can also be glimpsed by looking at the repeated letters. Alliteration is shown by repeating elements such as “scyld scifing sceathena” and “monegum maegthum meodosetla”. As the translation demonstrates, the function of alliteration is more difficult to reproduce in modern English:
“Oft Scyld the Scefing from enemies in squadron,
from many tribes, the mead snatched,
intimidated the accounts. Since she lay
friendless, foundling, fate has repaid him:
as it grew under wealth, it thrived in wealth”
In English, the last two lines best show the function of alliteration in poetry. The function has become more difficult because the nature of English poetry has changed for many reasons after the Norman conquest of 1066. First, the language itself has developed and diversified so that it is now simply more difficult to use modern vocabulary to produce alliterative verses. Second, poetic styles changed from alliteration to forms such as iambic pentameter and rhyming endings under the influence of medieval French poetry.
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