Poe's poem, "The Bells", is a perfect example how the sound devices of alliteration, repetition and onomatopoeia enhance mood and meaning. Alliteration is the repetition of a similar sound at the beginning of a group of words. For example in the stanza about alarum bells he writes "what tale of terror, now, their turbulency tells!" The repetition of the /t/ sound helps to create the anxious mood that alarm bells can create. Throughout the poem, Poe repeats the word "bells". He does this not only because it's the subject of the poem, but also because the repetition mimics the sound of bells ringing. Each repetition of the bells helps the reader to hear the bells swing back and forth to make their sound. Lastly, Poe uses a variety of onomatopoeia. The poem's mood changes throughout the poem depending on the type of bells being described. At first Poe describes happy bells. To create a happy mood, he uses a variety of onomatpoeia that create a happy light hearted sound. An example of this is tinkle which helps to create the joyous mood in the stanza describing sleigh bells. Throughout the poem "The Bells", Poe uses various sound devices to help him enhance the poem's mood and meaning.
