What is Onomatopoeia Used in the Poetry
Onomatopoeia signifies a word that mimics the sound of a thing described in the sentence. For instance, the sounds of the animals are referred as Onomatopoeia. Dog’s sound — bark, cat’s sound- meow and others. Interestingly, specific sound of an animal changes as per the language. For example. Pig’s sound is ‘oink’ in English, whereas it is ‘buu’ is Japanese. In brief, an onomatopoetic word is the sound with which a thing is described.
Some common examples of Onomatopoeia:
Impact sounds- crash, boom, bang, thump, etc.
Nature sounds- buzz, rustle, drip, etc.
Sound of the voice- hiss, giggle, murmur, whisper, etc.
The sounds of wind — swoosh, whoosh, whiff, etc.
The book fell from the study table with a loud thump.
The rustling leaves kept me sleepless.
She looked at the roaring sky before going out.
However, Onomatopoeia is used in the poetry and literature to add the aural effects. Sometimes, the combinations of the words are used to add an onomatopoetic effect. For example, ‘furrow followed free’ used by the English poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge in his poem ‘The Rime of the Ancient Mariner’.
‘The Bells’ and ‘The Raven’ written by the American writer Edgar Allan Poe are the examples of the onomatopoeia poems. Besides, ‘Cynthia in the Snow’ written by Gwendolyn Brooks is another noticeable poem that represents Onomatopoeia.
Onomatopoeia- at a glance:
Generally, words are applied in the sentences to tell the readers what is happening. However, onomatopoeia assists the readers to hear the sounds of the words added in the text. Therefore, the readers enter into the world created by the poet with the aid of the onomatopoetic words. The beauty of these words is that they impart an effect on the readers’ senses. Moreover, a simple plain narration does not have the same emphatic effect, whereas an explanation with onomatopoeia gives much emphasis and conveys the ideas to the readers powerfully.
