Great writing doesn’t just say something—it speaks.
In Part 1, we took a look at structure and rhythm. Now, let’s tune the instrument and dig into sounds, words, and how they feel when you speak them. If you’re writing for cadence and flow, these tools can act as your vocal warmup.
1. Alliteration: The ripple effect
Alliteration is the repetition of beginning consonants. It creates momentum and memorability.
“From forth the fatal loins of these two foes . . .” Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet
Baby back ribs
“Finger-lickin’ good” —KFC
“Melts in your mouth, not in your hands” —M&Ms
Bed, Bath & Beyond
Shake Shack
Don’t overdo it. But when it’s done well, alliteration attracts attention and makes people remember your name and product.
2. Assonance & Consonance: Echoes that linger
Assonance is vowel sound repetition: light, fire, high tide. You snooze, you lose. It makes words sound like they are flowing. Assonance creates rhythm.
Consonance repeats end/mid consonants: blank, ink, think. Hickory dickory dock. How now, brown cow. Consonance provides a sense of closure and works great to end a passage or thought.
These aren’t rhymes, but they create a subtle form of music that draws readers in and keeps them hooked.
“I celebrate myself, and sing myself, / And what I assume you shall assume …”
—Walt Whitman
It also works when creating names for products or characters.
WalMart
Toyota
Coca-Cola
3. Onomatopoeia: Words that sound like meaning
Sometimes, sound is the point and meaning. This part of speech adds impact to your writing and engages the senses. We hear and feel them when spoken or written. Words like:
“Buzz.” “Crack.” “Whisper.” “Clatter.”
Use sparingly, but wisely. These words add more than simple description.
4. Caesura: Breathe with the reader
In speech or text, you need pauses. A place to breathe. Caesura adds rhythm by breaking lines with a natural stop and offers a respite to absorb the material…or for the speaker to prepare for the what comes next.
The pause contains meaning. Consider this line from Hamlet by Shakespeare:
“To be, or not to be—that is the question.”
It would not work without that pause, for it is in that pause that we understand what Hamlet is contemplating.
Keep the rhythm and meaning of your work real—add an -em dash, a comma, a pause in your longer sentences.
5. Sound placement: Front-load or end-load for impact
Start sentences with rhythm. End them with resonance. This matters more when reading aloud or presenting—but even silently, your reader hears your choices.
Begin writing with musicality and cadence. Then finish with emotion and imagery—resonance.
Resonance means the “ability to evoke or suggest images, memories, and emotions.” It happens with strong verbs and nouns. You can achieve resonance by focusing on immersive writing, filled with evocative writing.
Final Thoughts:
Rhythm doesn’t happen by accident. It’s built. Try writing a paragraph today that focuses only on flow. Say it out loud. Feel the movement.
Play with these poetic forms to bring life to your work. Listen to your words and patterns. Writing is more like musical composition than academic texts would imply. It pays to develop your ear.