Onomatopoeia: Definition and Examples

 Onomatopoeia

Definition:

Onomatopoeia is a figure of speech where the word sounds like the noise it makes.

Explanation:

·       These words copy natural sounds.

·       They make writing more lively and interesting.

·       We can almost "hear" the sound when we read them.

Examples from Literature:

1. Alfred Lord Tennyson – Come Down, O Maid

"And murmuring of innumerable bees."

The word murmuring sounds like bees.

2. Edgar Allan Poe – The Bells

"How they tinkle, tinkle, tinkle."

The word tinkle copies the sound of bells.

3. Alfred, Lord Tennyson's poem "The Charge of the Light Brigade”

“Cannon to right of them,

Cannon to left of them,

Cannon in front of them.”

The word “them” represents the banging sound of cannons.

Examples from Everyday Life:

Animal sounds: meow (cat), woof (dog), moo (cow)

Nature sounds: buzz (bee), rustle (leaves), splash (water)

Object sounds: clang (metal), click (switch), beep (horn)