Alliteration

Someone interested in language often has sensitivity to the sounds of words. Fulton makes notable use of alliteration, the repetition of a sound at the beginnings of consecutive words, and consonance, the repetition of a sound throughout words. The title features the phrase “thou the thing.” In the first line of the poem, the sibilant s is present in each of the three words. In the second line of the second stanza, “of elsewhere. Well, we must love,” the letter w is repeated three times. In the lines that follow, the letter is repeated six more times at the beginnings of words. Reading the stanza aloud, one can feel the emphasis produced by the repetition of this sound and realize its power. The letter w is again employed in repetition in stanza 3, with “why we wish.” Other examples of alliteration and consonance can be found throughout the poem...