Sounding the Alarm with Alliteration

Alliteration can be a powerful tool for a writer or speaker. The emphasis of specific sounds produces an almost psychic effect that hypnotizes and entrances the mind. The trance breaks only when the alliteration does. Amanda D’s post expands on this idea with the article she found about alliteration’s psychology.

Ulysses is kinda a jerk.

Ulysses’ call to arms acts like an alliterative slap in the face. Soldiers within earshot are caught in Ulysses’ careful webbing of words and are almost forced to run to the front lines. In two phrases Ulysses uses six words that begin with ‘s’: “…one man must be supreme—one king to whom the scheming son of Saturn has given the scepter of sovereignty over you all” (lines 204-206). The Argive captain’s rebuke stings. He artfully and powerfully emphasizes the common nature of the soldiers and their tendency to be followers, not leaders.

Amanda D also highlights Ulysses’ awareness of his audience, but I would argue Ulysses was observing different levels of decorum. Audience is a large factor in this, but so are the social norms and expectations of the Greek army. When speaking with the kings and chieftains, Ulysses addresses them almost as social equals, given their positions in the army. He invokes “we” in the literal sense (line 195). But when speaking with the common soldier, Ulysses uses “we” in a more metaphorical sense: “we cannot all be kings” (line 202-203). Ulysses’ tone indicates that though he may not be a king, he is still the soldiers’ superior. Thus, the style change exemplifies the hierarchal nature of the army (more here) Ulysses can speak literally with those of his own class, but cannot with those below him. Even in crisis, the “noble son of Laertes” observes decorum (line 172).