Onomatopoeia - the formation and use of words that suggest, by their sounds, the object or idea being named or the imitation of natural sounds by words such as “bang” or “buzz.” It is a figure of speech and is especially useful for rhetorical effect.
The term is from the Greek onomatopoiia which was formed by joining onoma, meaning “name,” and poiein, meaning “to make.”
Words such as whinny, splash, and knock are examples of onomatopoeia. Dylan Thomas uses this technique in his “Fern Hill” (emphasis added):
Out of the whinnying green stable
On to the fields of praise.
lines 35 – 36
Source: MAXnotes to Guide to Literary Terms, ©2000 Research and Education Association, Inc.. All Rights Reserved. Full copyright.
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