Poetry Sounds

The way a poem sounds has a great affect on the reader's interpretation. Through the use of sound devices, writers can manipulate how they want the feel of their poem to be. In Robert Frost's poem, "Out, Out--" words like "buzz", "snarled" and "rattled" depict an inanimate object like a buzz-saw as an uncontrollable animal. Sibilance in the line "sweet-scented stuff" adds a sinister, snake-like feel that reinforces the animalistic quality in the poem. In Yusef Komunyakaa's poem, "Slam, Dunk, & Hook", sibilance appears yet again, only this time it is used to emphasize the fast, yet smooth, pace of the basketball players: "Swish of strings like silk." The reader can fully visualize the ball swishing perfectly inside the net.