Alliteration

In language, alliteration refers to the repetition of a particular sound in the first syllables of a series of words and/or phrases. Alliteration has historically developed largely through poetry, in which it more narrowly refers to the repetition of a consonant in any syllables that, according to the poem's meter, are stressed, as in James Thomson's verse "Come…dragging the lazy languid Line along".

Alliteration is usually distinguished, as and within, from the mere repetition of the same sound positions other than the beginning of each word — whether a consonant, as in "some mammals are clammy" (consonance) or a vowel, as in "yellow wedding bells" (assonance); but the term is sometimes used in these broader senses. Alliteration may also include the use of different consonants with similar properties (labials, dentals, etc.) or even the unwritten glottal stop that precedes virtually every word-initial vowel in the English language, as in the phrase "Apt alliteration's artful aid" (despite the unique pronunciation of the "a" in each word).

Alliteration is commonly used in many languages, especially in poetry. Alliterative verse was an important ingredient of poetry in Old English and other old Germanic languages like Old High German, Old Norse, and Old Saxon. This custom extended to personal name giving, such as in Old English given names. This is evidenced by the unbroken series of 9th century kings of Wessex named Æthelwulf, Æthelbald, Æthelberht, and Æthelred. These were followed in the 10th century by their direct descendants Æthelstan and Æthelred II, who ruled as kings of England. The Anglo-Saxon saints Tancred, Torhtred and Tova provide a similar example, among siblings.

Modern popular culture

Alliteration is most commonly used in modern music but is also seen in magazine article titles, advertisements, business names, comic strip or cartoon characters, and common expressions:

• Animation: In Death Note, the pseudonym of the famous detective, L, is Ryuzaki Ryuga, his name real is L Lawliet.
• Game Titles: Prince of Persia. Also the tags of the Game titles: Prince of Persia - Warrior Within.
• Movie Titles: V for Vendetta (including the "V" introductory monologue).
• Places in books: Bat Barn, Terror Tombs, Vampire Village
• Comics/cartoons and characters: Beetle Bailey, Donald Duck, and Mickey Mouse. Stan Lee has stated that he used alliteration extensively when naming his superhero characters because such names stand out and are more memorable (e.g. Scott Summers, Peter Parker, Sue Storm, Reed Richards, Matt Murdock, Bruce Banner, and many others). V for Vendetta has a self-introductory monologue by the title character, a few paragraphs long, that consists almost entirely of words starting with the letter V.
• Magazine articles: “Science has Spoiled my Supper”, “Too Much Talent in Tennessee?”, and "Kurdish Control of Kirkuk Creates a Powder Keg in Iraq"
• Children's Books: Animalia by Graeme Base is a famous example of alliteration within a storybook. Where's Wally? Many names in the Harry Potter series feature alliterations (e.g. Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin were the four wizards who founded Hogwarts School, and Severus Snape, Minerva McGonnagall, and Filius Flitwick are among the professors. Luna Lovegood, Cho Chang and Moaning Myrtle among the students. Gellert Grindelwald the Dark Wizard). Similarly, in Hairspray (2007 film), most characters' names feature alliterations (e.g. Tracy Turnblad, Link Larkin, Corny Collins, Dan Dougherty, Penny Pingleton, Seaweed Stubbs, Velma VonTussle, Motormouth Maybelle, etc.)
• Shops: "Coffee Corner", "Sushi Station", "Best Buy", "Circuit City", "Caribou Coffee".
• Expressions: "busy as a bee", "dead as a doornail", "good as gold", "right as rain", etc..
• Music: The Platters' Twilight Time, CSN's Helplessly Hoping, Janet Jackson, Franz Ferdinand, Cactus Cuties, Kerry Katona, Blackalicious's Alphabet Aerobics. Within Tupac Shakur's song If I Die 2 Nite, the lyrics consist of alliteration mostly with "P" beginning words, sometimes replaced by "C" or "K".
• Names and pseudonyms: Ronald Reagan, Alex Adams, Rodney Rude, Marilyn Manson, Marilyn Munroe, Myles Manley, Laura Little, Bradley Branning, Peter Pan.
• Sports Teams: Buffalo Bills, Seattle Seahawks, Seattle Sounders, Los Angeles Lakers, Jacksonville Jaguars, New Jersey Nets, Cleveland Cavaliers, San Antonio Spurs, Pittsburgh Pirates, Pittsburgh Penguins, Boston Bruins, Philadelphia Phillies, Tennessee Titans, Brisbane Broncos, Penrith Panthers, Sydney Swans, Hawthorn Hawks, Port Adelaide Power, St Kilda Saints, Canterbury Crusaders
• The release names of the Linux distribution, Ubuntu.
• News copy: “Buffalo Blaze Busters” or “Pistol Packing Punks” - Irv Weinstein, WKBW-TV
• Novels: Author Jeff Lindsay's series of novels about amicable serial killer Dexter Morgan all feature alliteration in their titles: Darkly Dreaming Dexter, Dearly Devoted Dexter, Dexter in the Dark, Dexter By Design, and Dexter is Delicious. The titular narrator often uses similar D-themed alliteration in his thoughts and dialogue.
• On the Animal Planet series The Planet's Funniest Animals, there was a segment entitled "Alliteration Alley".
• The term "Hartlepool Hands" was first coined in the late 19th Century and is an example of alliteration.

See also

• Assonance
• Consonance
• Tautogram
• Tongue twister