Daily Devices: Onomatopoeia.

Onomatopoeia is defined as a word, which imitates the natural sounds of a thing. It's that simple but can be used to great effect by talented writers. It creates a sound effect that mimics the thing described, making the description more expressive and interesting.

For example, “The gushing stream flows in the forest” is a more meaningful description than simply saying, “The stream flows in the forest.” The reader is drawn to hear the sound of gushing water which makes the expression more effective.
 

In addition to the sound they represent, many onomatopoeic words have developed meanings of their own. For example, “whisper” not only represents the sound of people talking quietly, but also describes the action of people talking quietly.

Generally, words are used to tell what is happening. Onomatopoeia, on the other hand, helps the readers to hear the sounds the words they reflect. Hence, the reader cannot help but enter the world created by the poet with the aid of these words. Animal sounds are great; Meow, Moo, Neigh, Tweet, Oink or Baa, all muster the image of their corresponding animal.

The beauty of onomatopoeic words lies in the fact that they are bound to have an effect on the readers’ senses whether they are understood or not. Moreover, a simple plain expression does not have the same emphatic effect that conveys an idea powerfully to the readers. The use of onomatopoeic words helps create emphasis.