Poetic Terms Dictionary
Sound Device

Cacophony

From Greek kakophonia: bad sound. The opposite of euphony; used by Milton, Browning, and Eliot to embody chaos, horror, or moral ugliness.

Definition

The deliberate use of harsh, discordant sounds to create an unpleasant auditory effect mirroring tension or violence.

Example

'The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!' (Carroll, Jabberwocky) — hard consonants enact the creature's menace.

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