Alliteration. Alliteration is the repetition of sounds at the beginnings of syllables, as in bats in the belfry or dead as a doornail. Among the words the poet says she enjoys are some that use the sound technique known as alliteration. As you read, try to pay attention to the musical quality the alliteration gives to the poem.

• People have written about literature for centuries, but in previous centuries most of this writing was nonfiction that discussed different forms of writing or offered criticism of writing. In the twentieth century writers began writing poetry and fiction that dealt with the subject of writing. Such literature gives the reader a glimpse of how a specific writer approached his or her craft. As you read, think about what attitude Elinor Wylie reveals about the art of writing poetry.
• The poem you are about to read is a specific type of poem called a sonnet. There are two types of sonnets—the Shakespearean sonnet and the Petrarchan sonnet. “Pretty Words” is an example of a Petrarchan sonnet. All sonnets have fourteen lines, but Petrarchan sonnets are divided into one eight-line stanza that rhymes abbaabba and one six-line stanza that rhymes cdecde, cdcdcd, or cdedce. The last stanza of this sonnet has a slight variation on the traditional Petrarchan rhyme scheme because it rhymes cdeced. Both types of sonnets are very traditional forms for a poet to follow. It is difficult to write a good sonnet due to the strict requirements of this form of poem.

What are some of your favorite words? What do you like about these words?