Sibilance

Have you ever read a poem in which the 's' sound was repeated? Did you appreciate its musical quality? Sibilance is a term that describes the effect created by the sound 's' repeatedly used in quick succession, often in poetry. Poets can employ sibilance to enhance the meaning of their work.

For example, if a poem was about a snake, the plethora of 's' sounds could help mimic the hissing sound a snake makes.

Sibilance: meaning

The meaning of Sibilance derives from sibilant which is a sharp sound with a higher pitch. To make sibilant sounds, the speaker directs a stream of air with their tongue towards their teeth, stressing the 's' sound.

An example of a sibilant sound is the 'sh' sound in leisure and pleasure. The 'sh' sound in the words 'shop' and 'shoot' is also in 'leisure' and 'pleasure', despite the fact they do not contain 'sh'. This is due to the sibilant 's' sound in the words changing the pronunciation of 's' to sound more like 'sh', stressing the 's' sound in the word.

Sibilance: examples

Here are a few examples of sibilance in words:

• essence
• strange
• zip
• scent
• drowsy
• ship

All of these words are examples of sibilant words because they contain sibilant sounds, 's', 'z', and 'sh', in which the 's' sound is stressed. When these sounds are used in close succession, this is classed as sibilance.

Here is another example of sibilance:

The plethora of 's' sounds in the above quote mimics the traditional connotations of a snake: the hissing 'sss' sound it makes and the image of it slinking through the grass. The use of sibilance reinforces the meaning of the sentence.

Overall, sibilance shows a sense of smoothness or fluidity in the language, as well as a sense of tension or excitement, depending on how it is used.

In some cases, sibilance can also be used to create a sense of discomfort or unease, as the hissing or shushing sounds can be reminiscent of a snake (as referenced earlier) or other dangerous creatures.

Sibilance in poetry

Let's explore the effect sibilance has on some examples from well-known poems.

'Meeting Point' (1940) by Louis MacNeice

This is a poem about a couple who feel like time has stopped around them. They are so in love they feel they are the only two people in the world and their surroundings are insignificant.

Here, the sibilance points to the underlying meaning of the poem. The succession of 's' sounds resembles the soft sound of sand slipping through an hourglass timer, reminding readers that time continues and nothing can stop it, even love.

MacNeice suggests that love can silence everything around us; we forget time is passing as we are trapped in the present moment.

The fact that MacNeice's use of sibilance subtly posits the idea of time progressing mirrors the way time passes and life existing outside of their relationship has similarly been pushed into the background of the lover's minds, as it has in the poem.

The sibilance is segregated from the rest of the poem by the use of brackets, much like the couple has distanced themselves from the outside world.

Mew's poem is about a woman reminiscing about her late partner. She is still adamant she can feel their presence around her even though they are dead. The French title translates to 'what's the point in saying?' as now the speaker is alone in the world it seems she has little reason to speak.

The sibilance mimics a hissing sound which could be interpreted as the speaker's former lover, a sound that is audible only to the speaker. The sibilance is almost like a secret code representing that the narrator can feel her late lover's presence.

The lines that follow also contain sibilance and it becomes a vital part of the rhythm of the poem, as Keats continues to associate autumn with soft natural imagery.

The lines quoted above are similarly littered with 's' sounds maintaining the rhythm of the poem established in the first two lines. The sibilance reinforces Keats' depiction of autumn as a soft and gentle season, associated with beautiful and natural imagery.

'Lullaby' (1960) by Anne Sexton

Sexton's use of sibilance draws attention to the thick and sticky heat of summer.

The collection of 's' sounds emphasise the evening sun, presenting it as a tangible presence, embodied by the yellow moths hitting the window sills. By drawing attention to the window we can imagine the feeling of hot glass as the sun beats down on the window for an extended period of time.

As this poem depicts a nurse returning to a mentally ill patient to give them sleeping pills, the drowsiness associated with sleeping is emulated in the sibilance. The repetition of 's' sounds gives the poem the quality of a lullaby.