Rhythm and musicality
Alliteration can help to create a sense of rhythm and musicality in poetry. This is because the repetition of the same consonant sound creates a pattern of sound that can be pleasing to the ear. For example, the following lines from Samuel Taylor Coleridge's poem "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" use alliteration to create a sense of rhythm and musicality:
>The fair breeze blew, the white foam flew,
>The furrow followed free;
>We were the first that ever burst
>Into that silent sea.
Emphasis
Alliteration can also be used to create emphasis. This is because the repetition of the same consonant sound can draw attention to certain words or phrases. For example, the following lines from William Shakespeare's play "Hamlet" use alliteration to create emphasis on the words "blood" and "battle":
>O, from this time forth,
>My thoughts be bloody, or be nothing worth!
Evocative power
Alliteration can also have an evocative power. This is because the repetition of the same consonant sound can create associations with other words or phrases that have a similar sound. For example, the following lines from Percy Bysshe Shelley's poem "Ode to the West Wind" use alliteration to create an evocative sense of the wind:
>Wild Spirit, which art moving everywhere;
>Destroyer and preserver; hear, oh, hear!
In this example, the repetition of the "w" sound creates an association with the sound of the wind. This association helps to create a vivid and memorable image of the wind.
Overall impact
Alliteration can have a number of positive effects on poetic language. It can help to create a sense of rhythm, musicality, emphasis, and evocative power. These effects can all help to strengthen the impact of poetic language and make it more memorable.