Question

Allen Ginsberg's "Howl" and "Hum Bom!" are very different, radical protest poems. But they both make extreme use of which Whitmanian literary device at the start of nearly every line?

1) Alliteration
2) Assonance
3) Consonance
4) Onomatopoeia

Answer 1

Allen Ginsberg's 'Howl' and 'Hum Bom!' make extreme use of anaphora, the repetition of a word or phrase at the start of successive lines, a technique associated with Walt Whitman's style.

Step-by-step explanation:

Allen Ginsberg's "Howl" and "Hum Bom!" both make extreme use of a Whitmanian literary device known as anaphora, which is the repetition of a word or phrase at the start of successive clauses or lines. This technique is evident in the way Ginsberg begins numerous lines of "Howl" with "who" and "Moloch" to build a powerful rhythm and thematic continuity.

While the question's options list alliteration, assonance, consonance, and onomatopoeia, the device that fits the description of starting nearly every line with the same word or phrase is not explicitly listed. However, anaphora is closely associated with the poetic style of Walt Whitman, whom Ginsberg admired and emulated.

In his works, Whitman frequently used anaphora, as seen in his poem "Song of Myself," to create a sense of expansiveness and to emphasize key themes.