sibilant

=Sibilant=

Definition of //sibilant//:
//Adj//.: 1. Hissing. 2. Phonetics. characterized by a hissing sound; noting sounds like those spelled with // s // in // this // and certain similar uses of //ch//, //sh//, //z//, //zh//, etc. //Noun//: 3. Phonetics - a sibilant consonant. Note: Sibilance is a special species of literary consonance.

Examples of //sibilance//:
Sibilant letters are in bold.

The World Is Too Much with Us. William Wordsworth. The world i**s** too much with u**s**; late and **s**oon, Getting and **s**pending, we lay wa**s**te our power**s**; Little we **s**ee in Nature that is ours; We have given our heart**s** away, a **s**ordid boon! This **S**ea that bares her bosom to the moon, The wind**s** that will be howling at all hour**s**, And are up-gathered now like **s**leeping flower**s**, For thi**s**, for everything, we are out of tune; It move**s** u**s** not.--Great God! I'd rather be A Pagan **s**uckled in a creed outworn; Have glimp**s**e**s** that would make me le**ss** forlorn; Have **s**ight of Proteu**s** rising from the **s**ea; Or hear old Triton blow his wreathed horn.
 * S**o might I, **s**tanding on thi**s** pleasant lea,

Excerpt from __The Raven__. Edgar Allan Poe. "And the **s**ilken **s**ad un**c**ertain ru**s**tling of each purple curtain"

Use and effect:
The use of specific types of sounds reinforces the imagery in the poem, especially when read aloud. Example: **S**limy **s**lithering **s**nakes ---evokes imagery from the use of "s" sounds and mentioning snakes, associating with a snake's hissing sound Example 2: **S**oftly **sh**e **s**ighed ---evokes imagery related to sighing, silence, whispering, etc.