Definition

Noun: * Alliteration: The use of the same consonant sound at the beginning of closely connected words, particularly in stressed syllables within a line of verse or a phrase. It is a stylistic literary device used to create rhythm, mood, or emphasis.

Usage and Examples

• The primary use of "beginning rhyme" is in the analysis of poetry and prose to describe a specific sound pattern.
• Example: The classic tongue twister "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers" is a clear example of beginning rhyme using the /p/ sound.
• Example: In the line "around the rock the ragged rascal ran," the repetition of the /r/ sound demonstrates beginning rhyme.

Advanced Usage

• While "beginning rhyme" is a descriptive term, in modern literary analysis, the term alliteration is far more common and precise.
• It can be used to create various effects: a musical quality ("silken, sad, uncertain rustling"), a harsh or abrupt tone ("broken, battered, beaten"), or to link concepts ("sweet smell of success").

Variants and Related Words

• Alliteration (n): The more standard and widely used term for "beginning rhyme."
• Consonance (n): The repetition of consonant sounds, which can occur at the beginning, middle, or end of words (e.g., "pitter patter").
• Assonance (n): The repetition of vowel sounds in nearby words (e.g., "holy stony").

Synonyms

• Alliteration
• Initial rhyme
• Head rhyme

Notes

• "Beginning rhyme" is a somewhat dated or less technical term. For clarity and precision in discussion, alliteration is the preferred word.
• It specifically refers to consonant sounds at the start of words or stressed syllables, not to vowel sounds or rhyming word endings.

Noun

1. use of the same consonant at the beginning of each stressed syllable in a line of verse
   • around the rock the ragged rascal ran