The repetition of vowel sounds in nearby words, creating a musical or rhythmic effect (like 'the cat sat on the mat').
From French 'assonance,' from Latin 'assonare' (to sound toward), composed of 'ad-' (to) + 'sonare' (to sound). The term was formalized in poetry analysis during the 19th century.
Poets use assonance to make language musical—'beat the heat in the street' repeats the 'e' sound—and unlike rhyme, assonance works with vowels instead of whole syllables, giving writers more subtle options.
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