Dissonance in poetry is the deliberate use of harsh, clashing, or unsettled sounds to create tension in a line or passage. Poets may do this by placing awkward consonants, jarring vowels, or other uneven sounds together so the language feels rough, strained, or uneasy rather than smooth and musical.
It is not just the absence of assonance; it is an effect in its own right, often used to mirror conflict, discomfort, noise, or emotional disturbance.
Example
Brick, scratch, splinter - the chain dragged hard
across the cracked iron yard.
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