A literary' device used to enhance sound effect in poetry is __________

Analyze the question: The question asks for a literary device that is used to enhance sound effect in poetry. So we need the option that works mainly through sound, not through meaning or pictures.

Explain the concepts:

• Imagery: Language that appeals to the senses (sight, touch, taste, smell, hearing) to create mental pictures. It works through description, not sound patterns.
• Alliteration: The repetition of the same consonant sound at the beginning of closely placed words, e.g. "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers." It creates rhythm, musicality and emphasis, so it is a sound device.
• Refrain: A line or phrase repeated at intervals in a poem (like a chorus in a song). It does add musicality, but its main role is to emphasize a theme or build structure through repetition, not to create a particular sound effect.
• Symbol: An object or image that stands for an abstract idea (e.g. a dove for peace). It works through meaning.

Solution:

1. Imagery works through pictures, so it is ruled out.
2. Symbol works through meaning, so it is ruled out.
3. Refrain is repetition of whole lines. It is structural and thematic, so it is a weaker fit.
4. Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds, and its main purpose is to enhance the sound and musical quality of a line. This is the best match.

Answer: B. alliteration

Tip: When a question says "sound effect", think of the sound devices: alliteration, assonance, onomatopoeia, rhyme. When it says "picture" or "senses", think imagery. When it says "represents" or "stands for", think symbol.