This Is Me--2024 A to Z Theme

My A to Z Themes in the past have covered a range of topics and for 2024 the theme is a personal retrospective that I call "I Coulda Been" which is in reference to my job and career arc over my lifetime. I'll be looking at all sorts of occupations that I have done or could have done. Maybe you've done some of these too!

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Is Alliteration Annoying?

           I almost always avoid alliteration and you will seldom see it on this site.   Some people prefer to permeate their prose and poetry with repetitive patterns    I think it's cloyingly crass and lacking in class. 

          It's kind of like rhyme.  Some writers will write using rhyme all of the time and think their writing is so sublime.   I would never stoop to using verse, in fact I think there's nothing worse.  But definitely I digress because I'm not talking about the mess that is using rhyme in regular writing.  And I don't want to blibber-blabber about onomatopoeia either.

           No, today's topic is completely concerned with the practice of using successive sounds that appear in the primary position.   It's especially sickening when such sounds are sibilant sounds.

           Is alliteration as absolutely annoying to any of you as it is to me?  

              Come on, be honest.  I remember reading on some of your blogs that you hated alliteration.  Feel free to fess up--you won't be flogging my feelings.  What other writing quirks bother you?  You can be honest with me.  I'm against all gaudy gimmickery that paragraphers use in their scurrilously screwy scribery.  And I don't like it when writers warp words either.  So tell us already if alliteration is annoying.  Don't you hate it when people just keep saying the same thing over and over again?  Doesn't repetition bother you? 

          Okay that's enough from me.   What's your take on the topic?  Oh, and don't you hate it when people just joke around and can't stay serious?    I'm alway very serious on this blog.  You'll never hear me joking around here.  This blogging is serious business and you'll never read anything silly here.  If I say something in my blog it's because I'm serious and I mean it.  I'm not going to shoot for any cheap joke here.  No, not on this blog.  And you'll never hear me rambling or repeating myself--you know, like alliteration.

         Now I really am done.

41 comments:

  1. Good Day Lee, I think you have opened up a can of worms here, What is so lowering about writing in verse? I do it all the time that's why my blog is called"Welcome To My World Of Poetry". If people don;t like repetative writing then DON'T READ IT.I enjoy reading all sorts of blogs and love to get comments unless they;re insulting of course,I think we ought to appreciate a person for who they are' their subjects are what they want to write about at the end of the day.Who are we to say otherwise?

    Yvonne.

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  2. I don't think I have an opinion either way on this one.

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  3. I happen to unapologetically love alliteration and I consider myself pretty educated. How can it be crass/classless if a person actually knows what alliteration is and can find the words to use it? I think, while rules are necessary, people forget that writing is an art and like any art the beauty is found in blurring those rules and experimenting.

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  4. I like alliteration, in moderation.

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  5. ah, I'm not sure what was your post really about :)) but as you know English is not my first language and I've never been to an English speaking country, so I'm more than convinced that I personally make tones of language, grammar and spelling mistakes while writing my blog and comments in English :) But people know I'm not a native speaker, so I guess they forgive me :)

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  6. I actually love alliteration, but it must be used appropriately - usually for humor, and usually in an over-the-top purposely annoying method, such as you have carried out here quite effectively Lee. This post is thus hil-ari-ous.

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  7. Honestly, I use it sometimes. It works for me. But, the key is SOMETIMES. Maybe once per book or less. I don't write poetry so I'm not sure I'd put it in or not.

    CD

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  8. I loved reading this. You made me smile :)

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  9. Lee, I'll be back to read and really comment but for now...There is something for you on my blog :D
    Jules @ Trying To Get Over The Rainbow

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  10. Alliteration gets old after a while. I liked your blog though. Made me laugh. Thanks.

    Stephen Tremp

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  11. Wow! Zing! Bam! Pow! My gosh and holy moly Batman, he has nearly gotten us!

    I alliterate everything I teach. It is not just the main points but the subpoints and sub-sub points. Allieration comes so natural to me it pops out without thinking and I rarely use a thesarus.

    Our four daughters are Shannon Annette, Sonja Aurora, Sharon Amber, and Stacy Alaine. We used to put SAM1 or SAM2 or SAM3 so on on their lunch bags and belongings. I still get cards periodically signed by SAM1 or SAM4.

    However, having said that I am being slowly persuaded by a preaching blog I follow to make my points in full sentences. He is beginning to make sense and get through 35 years of absolute habit.

    I shall try and not excerbate, excite, or energize this irrational, irrelevant, inflamable, and irresonsible (just kidding) rowdy and raucous rant!

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  12. I enjoy alliteration myself but I don't want to see it over done.

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  13. PS ON MY COMMENT:
    All the challenges that you set
    I always did in rhyme.
    It didn;t matter to you then
    Although it took much time.

    You've known me for quite a while
    I'm a very honest lass.
    Yet you say that people who write in rhyme
    Is classed as crass and low class.

    Thank you.

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  14. I'm with you, LEE! Alliteration drives me to distraction and discombobulates my concentration. It always seems so artificially arranged like some affected artifice and actually antagonizes me in some- Aww! I'm getting angry just answering this!

    Excepting the Alliterative Allomorph, of course. AlliAllo's A-OK.

    And, oh yeah, as far as those people who continually repeat themselves and can never manage to be serious, they tick me off too! Doesn't that just bug the bejabbers outta ya? Someone saying the same thing over and over and over and over, constantly clowning like some clod? You know, repeating himself and cutting up like some Comedy Central castoff?

    Yeah, give me the nonalliterative, nonjoking, nonrepetitious person anyday.

    Good blog bit, buddy!

    ~ D-FensDogg
    'Loyal American Underground'

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  15. To all of the readers of this post:

    I usually don't like to make any comment on my Debate Day topics until later in the day after a number of opinions have been expressed. However I thought I'd weigh in early on this topic since some of you may have misunderstood what I was doing.

    Obviously some of you got the joke, but if anyone was upset in anyway by anything that I said in this post please understand it was all tongue in cheek. I was shooting for humor here since the past few weeks had gotten kind of serious and heated. Today's post was intended as a parody of sorts of my Debate Day format. I thought I was using a totally silly topic to debate.

    And I do realize some of you out there who are poets, like our dear sweet Yvonne, take their craft seriously and I in no way would want to belittle or offend any of you. I consider myself to be a poet of sorts as well, and I was an English Literature major in college, so I do have a very deep appreciation and respect for poetry.

    So to set the record straight, personally I love alliteration. You may have noticed that I use this device frequently, especially in my titles. I also often incorporate other poetic devices in my work. I love poetic devices!

    Today's bit of blog business has been buffoonery on my behalf. I had fun with it and wanted you to have fun as well. Nothing ill intended toward any individual.

    From the bottom of this blogging bozo's heart, abundant blessings to you all!
    Arlee Bird

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  16. Yvonne -- I hope I have explained well enough above and directly on your blog. I would never want to offend you or diminish your craft. I have been among your biggest fans (and you have so many) and have been always so flattered at the attention you have always given to me. You have been amazing in meeting the challenges that I have set forth and responding to them with your highly creative poetry. Nothing that I said today was in any way directed to such a dear blog friend as you have been. In actuallity I was trying to satirically make fun of my own writing which often incorporates the devices to which I alluded into my prose. So please, Yvonne, forgive me if I've upset you in anyway. You are still one of my favorites!

    Alex -- Good! I think I've said enough.

    Jessica -- Okay, we're good.

    Junebug -- No disagreement between you and I on this topic. You said what I truly believe.

    Debbie -- I love alliteration and I find it hard to do anything in moderation. That's my situation--sometimes it leads to obfuscation.

    Dezmond -- Who would've thunk that? You write English better than me.

    Matthew -- Thank you, thank you. I am groveling in appreciation.

    Clarissa -- I love to use alliteration, sometimes to the point of saturation....hmmm, maybe I need to give this rhyme a vacation. Sometimes I get so repetitive.

    Karen --I agree with most everyone else to. In fact I use alliteration even when it's not appropriate.

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  17. wow!!! like Forest Gump said, "it happens." boy, did you ever step into it today!!! :) now i'm definitely not the sharpest knife in the drawer here. as a matter in fact, i had to go look up the word "alliteration" for the second time. another blogger from the A to Z challenge posted on the subject one day. when it comes to writing i have my own style. i could care less what people think about my writing style. my blog posts tend to be lengthy and i write just the way i talk. ...don't care about sentence structure or spellin` either. plus i create my own language. my posts would drive English majors up a wall! i sort`a like that idea:) i think that every blogger will have his or her own writing style. i think of it as being like a signature of an artist.

    you better send Yvonne some flowers, young man !!! :D

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  18. Carol --- Good, I'm glad you saw my intent.

    Jules -- Thank you for the kindness. I will post the acknowledgement of this on my Saturday post. Hope you do come back to give us your opinion on today's hot topic.

    Stephen Tremp -- How can you say that! Alliteration never get old-- well maybe sometimes--especially if reading aloud something that is like a tantalumitical tongue twister. Glad the post brought a chuckle.

    Gregg -- Love how you named your daughters. Mine are similar in the sense that their first names all start with vowels. And the second one's name is Emilee Elizabeth -- a nice alliterative name. Glad you got what my post was about.

    Holly -- No tongue twisters for you either?

    StMc -- Actually I should give you credit for this post Mr. Ferret Faced Facist Friend, as you inspired it. By the way, maybe the government should pass some laws against excessive and improper usage of alliteration and other poetic devices. They could set up an agency which would monitor it all and prosecute those who break the law. They could hire writers to spot this. Why, you, with your keen cognition of catching grammatical errors, could constitute an accomplished candidate for this career. You are hereby hired by the government of the United States of America.

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  19. Bud -- Boy, didn't I! You write the way I think writers often write best-- the way they talk. I too like to maintain a somewhat conversaional style when I write and that's what I like to read. When it all gets too high-falootin' I either fall asleep or sit there with a blank expression and say "Duh?". But you're right--style is like a signature.

    I hope my apologies to Yvonne were enough to clear things up some. Gosh, I didn't mean to upset anyone, I was just goofing off.

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  20. Alliteration is fun as long as it's not overdone!

    And yes, Lee, I must say how I enjoy your complete seriousness with each and every topic! :)

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  21. *giggles* Nice demonstration--and you used both the alliteration and rhyming exactly the way I like them... humorously. I LOVE both, but used in a campy fashion... MEANT to be a little silly. And I USE a fair amount of it, and I think you KNOW, I am most frequently being a bit of a nut.

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  22. >> You are hereby hired by the government of the United States of America.

    I'm only workin' for the CIA
    because they wouldn't have me
    in the MAF-I-A.

    ~ D-FensDogg
    'Loyal American Underground'

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  23. I am a virgin visitor and was truly terrified by the ferocious feelings of your followers... until you fluffed the ruffled feathers! 8)

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  24. Jemi -- Thank you. I always try to achieve the highest level of decorum on this site. After all, blogging is very serious business.

    Hart -- And then comes Hart accusing me of silliness. Well, my dear, you may be a nut, but I would never stoop to silliness. My serious blog allows me to come out of my shell. Heh-heh! Get it-- like a nut shell. Hah, hah, hah. Ahem, I'm being serious!

    Brokenbiro -- Yes, it was very frightening. I'm so embarrassed that a newbie would have to witness this shameful day in TOSSING IT OUT. Tomorrow I'll be a good boy. I promise (fingers crossed).

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  25. Alleration is fun, fantastic, and freeing. I love the rhyme and rhythm and reason. But when it's overly overdone, it's out.

    (thanks for the smiles)

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  26. Patricia -- I'm glad you thought so.

    Lynda -- Thanks for not yelling at me.

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  27. LC -- Awww, Larry, tell me it ain't so. Arizona has deteriorated your mind. You have now officially turned into an Airheadzonan. Or...did you seriously not get it? I don't know who's being serious or not anymore.

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  28. Funny. Very funny. Was I suppose to think it was funny? I did.

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  29. Hmmm...it seems you stirred up a ruckus here today

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  30. Teresa --- I'm glad you thought it was funny. That was my intention.

    Wanda -- Yeah, how'd that happen? Guess I should stick to my serious controversial topics, although my attempt at silliness became more controversial than most things I've done. Thanks for checking in with me.

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  31. I wish I were smart enough to be alliterative :-(

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  32. Rayna -- Why would you say that? You are definitely smart enough to be alliterative. And I know you're smart enough not to get yourself in trouble with alliteration like I did today.

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  33. Hi Lee .. I prefer writing that is natural and free flowing without false pretences .. I suppose like people ... Thanks - Hilary

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  34. You are such a tease, toying with us! I found your post, funny, flip and false. I know better... YOU really get us on Thursday! I love
    it, myself in small doses. I don't want to read everything like this. Too much isn't fun...it takes the natural rhythm out and dismisses the credibility. Besides, I don't want brain dealing with tongue, twisting, torture! ;-D

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  35. Hilary --I guess in a way writing is people. Sounds like Soylent Green.

    Ellie -- Glad you added your voice to the fray. Yes, I guess it becomes additionally annoying if you have to read it out loud or listen to it-- like listening to Peter Piper prattle paragraphs of prose or pieces of poetry.

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  36. I'm 100% with "Junebug" on this one.

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  37. Lee-

    Got it right away...I was thinking of an alliterative response, but it would have been too similar to some others...hence my comment on the "pill" post.

    Very clever and well written indeed!

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  38. Paula -- Actually I agree 100% with Junebug on this issue as well, and I hope my parody exemplified that. I guess you know I was not being serious with my stance on the subject.

    LC --Thank you. I'm pleased that you got it.

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