JOHN MILTON ( Exercises pag. 99/100, "Literature in Time")
Exercise 2:
-THE POEM IS IN BLANK VERSE - THAT IS UNRHYMED IAMBIC PENTAMETER. YET MILTON EXPLOITS SEVERAL SOUND DEVICES TO CREATE A KIND OF MUSIC, A SONOROUS IMPACT ON THE READER.
A) One of these devices is ALLITERATION. Find at least five examples of alliteration and say what they add to meaning. Line 10 shows the 1st alliteration, where there is the repetition of the same consonant "S". Probably, the function of this alliteration is to create the complete silence of angels in Haeven. From Line 13 you can note another alliteration in the repetition of the same consonant "F"; its probabli function is to underline the flames' light in Hell. The 3th alliteration is at line 18 where there is the repetition of the consonant "T" that recalls Satan's horrible setting.
Line 23 shows the 4th alliteration where you find again the repetition of consonant "T" . The last one is at line 25. Alliteration is very important because it points out the distance between Heaven (GOD) and Hell.
B) Other deviced are ASSONANCE and CONSONANCE. Which of the two devices does line 1 illustrate?
From line 1 you already can find an example of assonance: the repetition of the same vowel sound in two or more words of the line.
C) Which other lines show examples of assonance and consonance either along or across the lines?>br> Line 6 and line 8 show an example of consonance. Line 4 and line 11 show an example of assonance.
Exercise 3:
ANOTHER FEATURE OF MILTON'S VERSE IS THE PREDOMINANCE OF RUN- ON LINES OVER END-STOPPED LINES.
How many end-stopped lines can you identify in the extract? What effects do run-on lines create? I can identify 7 end-stopped lines. I think that they have the function to create expectations in the reader and a movement from one line to the next.