ALLITERATION, the commencing of two or more words, in close juxtaposition, with the same sound. As Milton defined rhyme to be "the jingling sound of like endings," so alliteration is the jingle of like beginnings. All language has a tendency to jingle in both ways, even in prose. Thus in prose we speak of "near and dear," "high and dry," "health and wealth." But the initial form of jingle is much more common—"safe and sound," "thick and thin," "weal or woe," "fair or foul," "spick and span," "fish, flesh or fowl," "kith and kin." The poets of nearly all times and tongues have not been slow to seize upon the emphasis which could thus be produced.
Although mainly Germanic in its character, alliteration was known to the Latins, especially in early times, and Cicero blames Ennius for writing: "0 Tite tote, Tati, tibi tanta, tyranne, tulisti." We read in Chaucer :- But of the fyr and flaumbe funeral In which my body brennen shal to glede.
In Shakespeare :— Full fathom five thy father lies.
In Coleridge:— The fair breeze blew, the white foam flew, The furrow followed free; We were the first that ever burst Into that silent sea.
As thus far considered, alliteration is a device wholly dependent on the poet's fancy. He may use it or not, or use it much or little, at his pleasure. But there is an extensive range of Teutonic poetry whose metrical laws are entirely based on alliteration. This, for example, is the principle on which Icelandic verse is founded ; and we have a yet nearer interest in it, because it furnishes the key to Anglo-Saxon and a large portion of early English verse. Here is a passage from the famous epic Beowulf, alliteratively rendered by Mr. C. K. Scott-Moncrieff : Oft Shield of the Sheaf from scathing hordes From many meinies their mead-stoves tore ; Affrighted them the Earl since erst he was Found unwealthy ; then friendship he awaited, Waned under the welkin, in worship throve, Until each one of those outdwelling Over the whale-road, must hearken to him, Gold must give him ; that was a good king.
The rhymeless lines divide into halves, and each half has nor mally two strong accents, irrespective of the number of syllables, all, or some, of the accented syllables being alliterated—three in each line being the usual number. Double alliteration is occasionally found. The influence of French poetry, with its definite syllabic system, worked against the continuance of this ancient recitative, and the alliterative line gradually ceased to be the vehicle of serious verse in England. But there were two great revivals, one in the 14th century, when such poems as Pearl (q.v.), Syr Gawayne and the Grene Knight, and the Morte Arthure were written; the other, also in the 14th century, but quite independent, when the great poem known as Piers Plowman was written.
Piers Plowman, consciously archaic, suggests the Anglo-Saxon manner :— Then gan I to meten a merveilouse swevene, That I was in a wilderness, wist I never where; As I behelde into the east, an hiegh to the sonne, I seigh a tour on a toft, trielich ymaked; A depe dale benethe, a dongeon there-inne, With depe dyches and derke and dredful of sight.
But though alliteration lingered on as a form of emphasis in popular songs, it ceased to be a regular way of English verse. Chaucer makes his Parson refer contemptuously to alliteration; but as he sneers at rhyme as well, perhaps we should not take him too seriously :— But, trusteth wel, I am a southren man, I can not geste "rum, ram, ruf" by lettre, Ney, God woot, rym holde I but litel bettre.
For a study of alliterative verse see J. Schipper, History of English Versification (Igio).