sound figures are figures of speech associated with the sound of words or expressions. Thus, in a text that presents an intentional repetition of consonants, we can identify alliteration, but if it is a repetition of vowels, we have assonance. A word that imitates a sound, such as “ticking”, is an onomatopoeia. In addition, similar terms, but with different meanings, reveal a paronomasia.
Read too: Polysyndeton – figure of speech consisting of the repetition of conjunctions
Topics of this article
Summary about the sound figures
-
Sound figures are figures of speech related to the sound of words or expressions.
-
Alliteration is the repetition of consonants or syllables.
-
Assonance is the repetition of vowels.
-
Onomatopoeia is the imitation of sounds produced by animals, nature, objects or people.
-
Paronomasia is the use of similar words but with different meanings.
Don’t stop now… There’s more after the publicity 😉
Video lesson on sound figures
What are sound figures?
The figures of sound or harmony are figures of speech built based on sound of words or expressions. One of the best known examples is in the poem Violas that cry…by the symbolist writer Cruz e Sousa (1861-1898):
Veiled voices, velvety voices,
Voluptuousness of guitars, veiled voices,
Roam in the old swift vortexes
Of the winds, alive, vain, vulcanized.
In the excerpt above, the sound caused mainly by the repetition of the letter “v” is evident.
See too: Pleonasm – figure of speech consisting of the repetition of ideas
What are sound figures?
There are the following sound figures:
And the repetition of consonants or syllables:
It should be noted that such a figure is common in literary texts. Its use in functional texts is considered a language addiction.
And the repetition of vowels:
It is a term that imitates sound of animals, noises of nature in general, or even the sound produced by objects or people:
- Armandinho said that the meow ate the Tweet tweet that was in the tree.
-
I was scared because thundered outside, and the rain just kept getting worse.
-
heard a knock knock at the door and knew it was death.
-
O fiu-fiu it was general, and such harassment bothered her.
AND the use of similar wordsbut which have different spelling, sound and meaning:
Solved exercises about sound figures
Question 1 – (UFPA)
weaving the morning
A rooster alone does not weave a morning:
he will always need other roosters.
From one that catches the cry that a rooster before
and cast it to another; and other roosters
that with many other roosters cross paths
the strands of sunlight from his rooster cries,
so that the morning, from a tenuous web,
go weaving, among all the roosters.
And embodying itself on canvas, among all,
raising a tent, where everyone can enter,
entertaining for everyone, on the awning
(the morning) that soars free of frame.
The morning, awning of a fabric so airy
which, woven, rises by itself: balloon light.
(MELO, João Cabral de. In: complete poems. Rio de Janeiro: José Olympio, 1979.)
in the verses
“And embodying itself on canvas, among all,
raising a tent, where everyone can enter,
entertaining for everyone, on the awning…”
there is an example of
A) euphemism.
B) antithesis.
C) alliteration.
D) silepsis.
E) synesthesia.
Resolution
Alternative C. Alliteration occurs with the repetition of the consonant “t”.
Question 2 – (UEL)
Source: HAGAR — Folha de S. PauloIllustrated E 9, 08/17/2006.
Source: CHICO B. — Folha de S. PauloIllustrated E 11, 08/25/2006.
The onomatopoeias of the second strip refer, respectively, to:
A) Sputum, blow and punch.
B) Kiss, caress and sputum.
C) Sputum, caress and fight back.
D) Yawning, sputum and bursting.
E) Kiss, punch, battle cry.
Resolution
Alternative A. The onomatopoeias “ptu!”, “tomp!” and “pow” refer, respectively, to: sputum, blow and punch.
By Warley Souza
Portuguese teacher