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Literary Devices
Definition of Alliteration
Alliteration is a figure of speech in which the same sound repeats in a group of words, such as the “b” sound in: “Bob brought the box of bricks to... read full definition
Alliteration is a figure of speech in which the same sound repeats in a group of words, such as the “b” sound in: “Bob brought... read full definition
Alliteration is a figure of speech in which the same sound repeats in a group of words, such as the... read full definition
Alliteration
Explanation and Analysis—Cool and Clear:
In one of the rare moments of authentic introspection from Krebs, Hemingway includes an instance of alliteration that emphasizes Krebs's feelings about the war:
All of the times that had been able to make him feel cool and clear inside himself when he thought of them; the times so long back when he had done the one thing, the only thing for a man to do, easily and naturally, when he might have done something else, now lost their cool, valuable quality and then were lost themselves.
The above quotation is atypical of Hemingway's prose, noticeably longer than the average sentence and full of many dependent, consecutive clauses. This change in prose, which occurs during the most detailed account of Krebs's feelings regarding the war and his life as a soldier, conveys the confusion Krebs currently experiences as a veteran reflecting on his time in the army; times that were "so long back," and so foreign from his current day-to-day life, that they lost "their cool, valuable quality." The initial alliteration of "cool" and "clear" stands out from the more complex syntax of the sentence, emphasizing the clarity he had during his time as a soldier. The cool, crisp "c" sound sonically mimics the clarity in feeling and thought described by Krebs, a sound that is otherwise absent from the quotation (except at the very end, when "cool" is once more repeated as Krebs reminisces on what has been lost). The above instance of alliteration, along with the brief shift in style by Hemingway, conveys the fact that Krebs lacks the clear purpose and understanding he had as a soldier at war.
Related Themes:
