The repetition of the same beginning sound (usually a consonant) in words that are close to each other, used for artistic effect.
From Medieval Latin 'alliteratio,' from 'ad-' (to) plus 'litera' (letter). The term literally means 'to letter toward' and was formalized in the 16th century as a specific literary device.
Alliteration appears everywhere from Shakespeare to cereal commercials ('Frosted Flakes') to tongue twisters, and neuroscience shows our brains actually process alliterated language slightly differently—it takes up more mental space, making us focus on it more intently!
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