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SingaporeEnglish LiteratureQuick questions
Reading Poetry
Quick questions on Sound and rhythm in poetry explained: O-Level Literature in English
6short Q&A pairs drawn directly from our worked dot-point answer. For full context and worked exam questions, read the parent dot-point page.
What is rhyme?Show answer
Rhyme is the matching of sounds at the ends of words, usually at the ends of lines. A regular rhyme scheme can make a poem feel ordered, musical or playful; a broken or absent rhyme can feel unsettled or natural. Rhyme also links words in the reader's ear, so two rhyming words are quietly connected in meaning. When you analyse rhyme, ask what mood the pattern creates and whether any rhyme pairs words in a meaningful way.
What is onomatopoeia?Show answer
Onomatopoeia is a word whose sound imitates its meaning ("buzz", "splash", "thud"). It makes a moment vivid by appealing to the ear, and the kind of sound, gentle or harsh, contributes to the mood. As always, name it, then explain what it makes the reader hear and feel.
What is putting sound to work?Show answer
The strongest analysis connects sound to the poem's subject. Smooth, flowing sounds suit calm water or tenderness; clipped, hard sounds suit anger or violence; slow, heavy vowels suit grief or exhaustion. The phrase to aim for is "the sound of the words mirrors the meaning", followed by exactly how.
What is q1?Show answer
What is the difference between alliteration and assonance? [2 marks]
What is q2?Show answer
A line uses many hard "k" and "t" sounds to describe a battle. What effect might this create? [2 marks]
What is q3?Show answer
Why is it not enough to write "the poet uses onomatopoeia" in an analysis? [3 marks]
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