Literary Devices: Cacophony

Cacophony:

A horrible, scrambled, mixture of unpleasant sounds. The word cacophony originates from the greek word meaning "bad sound"

Function:

Cacophony is used by poets to describe something unpleasant or to make a horrible sounding noise which is done by combining sharp, harsh and hissing sounds. The use of cacophony is often used to show how a monster or something that is not human may speak such as a daemon. When cacophony is used it makes the speaker or writing seem more supernatural and more powerful especially since it is "set out" in the text because it sounds much different than the other writing.

Example

Jabberwocky

by Lewis Carroll

'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves 

Did gyre and gimble in the wabe; 

All mimsy were the borogoves, 

And the mome raths outgrabe. 

"Beware the Jabberwock, my son! 

The jaws that bite, the claws that catch! 

Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun 

The frumious Bandersnatch!" 

He took his vorpal sword in hand: 

Long time the manxome foe he sought -- 

So rested he by the Tumtum tree. 

And stood awhile in thought. 

And as in uffish thought he stood, 

The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame, 

Came wiffling through the tulgey wood, 

And burbled as it came! 

One, two! One, two! And through and through 

The vorpal blade went snicker-snack! 

He left it dead, and with its head 

He went galumphing back. 

"And hast thou slain the Jabberwock? 

Come to my arms, my beamish boy! 

frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!" 

He chortled in his joy. 

'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves 

Did gyre and gimble in the wabe; 

All mimsy were the borogoves, 

And the mome raths outgrabe.