Mixing dissonance and alliteration?
Are alliteration and dissonance considered mutually exclusive? My understanding is that alliteration means repetition of consonant sounds to make text flow more harmoniously, while dissonance means a combination of words that disrupts harmony. But what about a phrase like "Sweetly, slimily, and softly"?
To me, this seems both alliterative and dissonant, and I can't quite put my finger on what effect this has. Am I misunderstanding something about the concepts of alliteration and dissonance? Or is there another term for this kind of literary device?
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1 answer
Alliteration is the repetition of the same letter or sound at the beginning of consecutive words. It is not limited to consonants, and there is nothing in the definition that speaks to its purpose or effect. So, there is no conflict between the terms. You can be both alliterative and dissonant if you want to.
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