Sweet silent thought: alliteration and resonance in poetry comprehension

Psychological Science
R Brooke LeaRussell Swinburne Romine

Abstract

Poetic devices like alliteration can heighten readers' aesthetic experiences and enhance poets' recall of their epic pieces. The effects of such devices on memory for and appreciation of poetry are well known; however, the mechanisms underlying these effects are not yet understood. We used current theories of language comprehension as a framework for understanding how alliteration affects comprehension processes. Across three experiments, alliterative cues reactivated readers' memories for previous information when it was phonologically similar to the cue. These effects were obtained when participants read aloud and when they read silently, and with poetry and prose. The results support everyday intuitions about the effects of poetry and aesthetics, and explain the nature of such effects. These findings extend the scope of general memory models by indicating their capacity to explain the influence of nonsemantic discourse features.

References

Jul 1, 1992·Psychological Review·G McKoon, R Ratcliff
Jul 1, 1988·Psychological Review·R Ratcliff, G McKoon
Jul 1, 1994·Psychological Review·A C GraesserT Trabasso
Jul 1, 1996·Journal of Experimental Psychology. Learning, Memory, and Cognition·G McKoonS B Greene
Mar 7, 2001·Psychological Science·M S McGlone, J Tofighbakhsh
Mar 26, 2002·Journal of Experimental Psychology. Learning, Memory, and Cognition·R Brooke Lea, Elizabeth J Mulligan
May 25, 2005·Journal of Experimental Psychology. Learning, Memory, and Cognition·R Brooke LeaJennifer Lee Walton
Sep 13, 2007·Memory & Cognition·Barbara Tillmann, W Jay Dowling
Jan 23, 2008·Journal of Memory and Language·Julie A Van Dyke, Brian McElree
May 6, 2005·Cognitive Science·Richard L Lewis, Shravan Vasishth

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Citations

Oct 3, 2013·PloS One·Christoph ScheepersAndrew M Roberts
Oct 5, 2010·Cognition·Michael Wagner, Katherine McCurdy
Dec 25, 2015·Cognitive, Affective & Behavioral Neuroscience·Christian ObermeierWinfried Menninghaus
Feb 7, 2012·Cognitive Science·Walter Kintsch
May 1, 2010·Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews. Cognitive Science·Jesse R Sparks, David N Rapp
Dec 10, 2016·Frontiers in Psychology·Awel Vaughan-EvansGuillaume Thierry
Sep 7, 2017·Psychonomic Bulletin & Review·Nina KazaninaWilliam Idsardi
Dec 7, 2017·Frontiers in Psychology·Stefan BlohmMatthias Schlesewsky
Apr 25, 2021·Memory & Cognition·R Brooke LeaDavid N Rapp
Dec 12, 2021·Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications·Joel J KatzMelody Wiseheart

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Software Mentioned

Sonnet

Related Concepts

Trending Feeds

COVID-19

Coronaviruses encompass a large family of viruses that cause the common cold as well as more serious diseases, such as the ongoing outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19; formally known as 2019-nCoV). Coronaviruses can spread from animals to humans; symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties; in more severe cases, infection can lead to death. This feed covers recent research on COVID-19.

Blastomycosis

Blastomycosis fungal infections spread through inhaling Blastomyces dermatitidis spores. Discover the latest research on blastomycosis fungal infections here.

Nuclear Pore Complex in ALS/FTD

Alterations in nucleocytoplasmic transport, controlled by the nuclear pore complex, may be involved in the pathomechanism underlying multiple neurodegenerative diseases including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia. Here is the latest research on the nuclear pore complex in ALS and FTD.

Applications of Molecular Barcoding

The concept of molecular barcoding is that each original DNA or RNA molecule is attached to a unique sequence barcode. Sequence reads having different barcodes represent different original molecules, while sequence reads having the same barcode are results of PCR duplication from one original molecule. Discover the latest research on molecular barcoding here.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a disease characterized by unexplained disabling fatigue; the pathology of which is incompletely understood. Discover the latest research on chronic fatigue syndrome here.

Evolution of Pluripotency

Pluripotency refers to the ability of a cell to develop into three primary germ cell layers of the embryo. This feed focuses on the mechanisms that underlie the evolution of pluripotency. Here is the latest research.

Position Effect Variegation

Position Effect Variagation occurs when a gene is inactivated due to its positioning near heterochromatic regions within a chromosome. Discover the latest research on Position Effect Variagation here.

STING Receptor Agonists

Stimulator of IFN genes (STING) are a group of transmembrane proteins that are involved in the induction of type I interferon that is important in the innate immune response. The stimulation of STING has been an active area of research in the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases. Here is the latest research on STING receptor agonists.

Microbicide

Microbicides are products that can be applied to vaginal or rectal mucosal surfaces with the goal of preventing, or at least significantly reducing, the transmission of sexually transmitted infections. Here is the latest research on microbicides.

Related Papers

The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology : QJEP
Paul E EngelhardtElena G Patsenko
Behavior Research Methods, Instruments, & Computers : a Journal of the Psychonomic Society, Inc
Kenneth I Forster, Jonathan C Forster
© 2022 Meta ULC. All rights reserved