Which pair of lines in these poetic passages uses onomatopoeia?
Weary with toil, I haste me to my bed, The dear repose for limbs with travel tired, But then begins a journey in my head To work my mind, when body's work's expired. For then my thoughts (from far where I abide) Intend a zealous pilgrimage to thee, And keep my drooping eyelids open wide, Looking on darkness which the blind do see. (William Shakespeare, Sonnet 27) Hear the sledges with the bells— Silver bells! What a world of merriment their melody foretells! How they tinkle, tinkle, tinkle, In the icy air of night! While the stars that oversprinkle All the heavens, seem to twinkle With a crystalline delight; (Edgar Allan Poe, "The Bells") One shade the more, one ray the less, Had half impaired the nameless grace Which waves in every raven tress, Or softly lightens o'er her face; Where thoughts serenely sweet express, How pure, how dear their dwelling-place. (Lord Byron, "She Walks in Beauty")
Answers
In the given poetic passages, onomatopoeia is used in the second extract, from Edgar Allen Poe’s ‘The Bells’. The lines are ‘Hear the sledges with the bells— Silver bells! What a world of merriment their melody foretells! How they tinkle, tinkle, tinkle, In the icy air of night! While the stars that oversprinkle All the heavens, seem to twinkle With a crystalline delight;’
This is because the words ‘tinkle, tinkle, tinkle’ reproduce the same sound as the bells.
Onomatopoeia is a literary term that refers to using words that are ‘sound’ words. These words reproduce the sound that is produced. For instance, ‘tick’ is onomatopoeia because that is the sound that the clock makes. Similarly the cuckoo’s ‘cuckoo’ is considered onomatopoeia.
This device is used to improve the feel of the work. It helps the reader almost hear the sounds and so establishes the setting well.
Edgar Alla Poe is quite generous while playing with onomatopoeia in his poem "The Bells".
From the shrill sound of the miniature piccolo tweets to the overall sound of the boom of the bass drums at the very end, Edgar Allan Poe uses it all.
Each part has a unique sound of its own, where as if it seems like all the instruments are woven together in a harmonious melody.