Answer: Activity 3

Answer:  Examples of alliteration include – fishes/ flew/ forest;   moment/ moon;  four –footed; deride/dumb;  secret/ still;  fools/ for/far/ fierce.   Another example of alliteration you may have picked up is “ tattered outlaw”. While outlaw doesn’t begin with T, the sound of the T is repeated 3 times in the two words.

What effect does the alliteration have on us? 

Alliteration is about sound – so the best way to work out what effect it has is to read the poem aloud. The alliteration of the sound F in the first line is a bit awkward. If you read it aloud, you’ll find it’s not  easy to say and you have to slow down. This draws our attention to  the poem and makes us focus on the words.

In the last verse, there is repetition of that F sound again in the first two lines.  Again, I think this is to force the reader to slow down and emphasise the words. When you say the phrase  “ one far fierce hour ..”  you stress every word. The poet uses that to highlight the intense emotion of  pride the donkey felt at carrying Christ into Jerusalem.