5A Act 1 Learning Stations

The sound devices that the poet uses create a more vivid image of the nature described in the poem (the chasm and the river).

Explanation:

''Kubla Khan, Or, A Vision in a Dream: A Fragment" is a poem written by Samuel Taylor Coleridge.

In Line 17, the poet uses a sound device called alliteration. Alliteration is the repetition of the same letter/sound at the beginning of adjacent / closely associated words. In this case, there is a repetition of sibilant sounds in "ceaseless" and "seething." These words follow the word "chasm", which is both magical and dangerous. By repeating these harsh consonants, the poet creates a more vivid image of the chasm.

In Line 25, alliteration is achieved through the repetition of the consonant sound "m". Words "miles", "meandering", "mazy" and "motion" all contain the same sound, which is more gentle than the harsh "s" in Line 17. The repetition of this sound, which is uttered with ease, perfectly portrays the smooth flow of the river.

In both of the lines, we can notice the uneven meter and series of both stressed and unstressed syllables. This gives the poem a melody when read aloud, and makes us imagine the noises created by the chasm and the river.