Alliteration in Verse (stuðlar, höfuðstafur)
Yfir kaldan eyðisand / einn um nótt ég sveima. The stuðlar Yfir and eyði and the höfuðstafur einn all begin with a vowel.
How It Works
Which sounds match.
- A consonant alliterates with the same consonant: n with n, f with f.
- Any vowel alliterates with any other vowel: y, ey, ei all work together.
- sk, sl, sm, sn, sp and st only alliterate with the same pair. Strákur alliterates with stelpa, but not with skíði.
- Words spelled hv can alliterate with k when pronounced kv. Other verse pairs them with h, following the older breathy pronunciation. See hv.
Only stressed syllables count. Every word is stressed on its first syllable (see first-syllable stress), so alliteration usually falls on the first letter of a word. Small unstressed words like á, í, og do not count. In a compound whose first part has two or more syllables, the second part also has stress: sólarolía.
The ferskeytla. The most popular Icelandic verse form has four lines. Lines 1 and 3 have four stressed beats and end on a stressed syllable. Lines 2 and 4 have three and end on an unstressed one. The end rhyme is ABAB, and alliteration links lines 1–2 and lines 3–4:
Yfir kaldan eyðisand
einn um nótt ég sveima.
Nú er horfið Norðurland,
nú á ég hvergi heima.
(Kristján Jónsson Fjallaskáld)
Placement rules. The höfuðstafur is always the first stressed syllable of the second line. In a line with four beats, one of the stuðlar must fall on the third beat. The other can be on any stressed syllable. In Nú er horfið Norðurland, the beats are Nú, horf-, Norð-, -land, and the stuðlar are on beats 1 and 3.
Outside poetry. Many fixed phrases also alliterate: vinir og vandamenn (friends and family), frá toppi til táar (from head to toe). Kennings give old poets many ways to name one thing, which helps them find a word with the right sound.
Examples (6)
- Yfir kaldan eyðisand / einn um nótt ég sveima.
Over the cold desert sand / I wander alone at night.
Word by Word: Over cold desert-sand / alone in night I wander.
Stuðlar: Yfir and eyði. Höfuðstafur: einn. All three begin with a vowel.
- Nú er horfið Norðurland, / nú á ég hvergi heima.
The North is out of sight now, / now I have no home anywhere.
Word by Word: Now is vanished North-land, / now have I nowhere home.
Stuðlar: Nú and Norður, on beats 1 and 3. Höfuðstafur: nú, the first stressed word of the next line.
- Sólin hlýjar sumarkvöld, / sefur allur bærinn.
The sun warms the summer evening, / the whole town is asleep.
Word by Word: The-sun warms summer-evening, / sleeps all the-town.
Stuðlar: Sólin and sumar. Höfuðstafur: sefur.
- Strákur stuðlar við stelpu en ekki við skíði.
Strákur alliterates with stelpa but not with skíði.
Word by Word: Boy alliterates with girl but not with ski.
st only alliterates with st, and sk only with sk.
- Sérhljóðar stuðla hver við annan, til dæmis epli og ís.
Vowels alliterate with each other, for example epli and ís.
Word by Word: Vowels alliterate each with other, for example apple and ice.
Any vowel can alliterate with any other vowel.
- Allir vinir og vandamenn komu í veisluna.
All our friends and family came to the party.
Word by Word: All friends and relatives came to the-party.
Everyday phrases like vinir og vandamenn alliterate too.
Common Mistakes
Pairing sk with plain s.
Sólin hlýjar sumarkvöld, / skýin burtu líða.Sólin hlýjar sumarkvöld, / sefur allur bærinn.The stuðlar begin with s, so the höfuðstafur must too. sk only alliterates with sk.
Putting the höfuðstafur later in the line.
Sólin hlýjar sumarkvöld, / allur bærinn sefur.Sólin hlýjar sumarkvöld, / sefur allur bærinn.The höfuðstafur must be the first stressed syllable of the second line. Here that is allur, which does not begin with s.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Alliteration builds on kennings and hv.
Related Patterns
Practice Alliteration in Verse (stuðlar, höfuðstafur) in Bubblegum
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