This is my final question. I appreciate all of your help. Is this an example of alliteration, assonance, consonance, rhythm?
I think that it's either alliteration or consonance. Not sure though
Sticks and stones may break our bones but names will break our spirit
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Literary_consonance
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alliteration
St... st... = alliteration
b... b... = alliteration
Right?
Right so it's alliteration?
Yes.
Be sure to read the first and second paragraphs VERY carefully.
To determine if this is an example of alliteration, assonance, consonance, or rhythm, let's break down the elements and understand what each of these literary devices means:
- Alliteration: It refers to the repetition of the initial sounds in a series of words. For example, "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers" has repetition of the "p" sound.
- Assonance: It involves the repetition of vowel sounds in nearby words. For example, "Hear the mellow wedding bells" repeats the "ee" sound.
- Consonance: It refers to the repetition of consonant sounds inside words or at the end of words. For example, "Mike likes his new bike" repeats the "k" sound.
- Rhythm: It represents a pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables or a regular, repetitive flow in language. It is more related to the overall structure and beat of a sentence or phrase.
Looking at the given phrase: "Sticks and stones may break our bones but names will break our spirit," we can observe that there is a repetition of the "b" sound in "break," "bones," and "but." This repetition, where the consonant sound is repeated, is called consonance.
So, based on the options mentioned, the correct answer would be consonance.
Note: Rhythm is not easily identifiable in this phrase, as it is more concerned with patterns of stressed and unstressed syllables, whereas this phrase does not exhibit a distinct metrical pattern.