Alliteration: an awfully acrobatic and awesomely activating articulation.

Or, in a sentence that doesn't sound like it comes straight off the page of an ABC book, it's the repetition of a sound at the beginning of successive words. This rhetorical device makes a line sound more graceful. It's a powerfully potent, poetic people pleaser—oops, there we go again.

It doesn't always stick out as much as other devices—alliteration can be a subtle orator's trick. Here's an example: in Paragraph 14, MLK describes Mississippi as a "state sweltering" with racism (14.1). The repetition of the "s" sound is alliteration.

And, in Paragraph 8, he calls the energy of the Civil Rights Movement "marvelous new militancy" (8.6). Earlier on, there's also a "sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent" (7.1). Notice how "sweltering" is repeated in alliteration a few different times throughout the speech. This really drives home the idea of sweltering, uncomfortable heat. It reminds the listener of just how bad things have been for African Americans.

Alliteration can commonly be found in poetry, songs, and everyday speech. It pops up in common figures of speech like "trials and tribulations," "sticks and stones," "best buds," lovin' life," "party people," and so on. So congratulations, Shmoopers. You use this rhetorical device every day; you just didn't know it. Now get out there and do some public speaking.