Rhyming is perhaps the most common and well-known poetry technique. Vowels and consonants are important in a rhyme. In a perfect rhyme, at least the last syllable of a word has the same vowels and consonants -- for example, "ripe" and "gripe." In this rhyme, the long "i" sound and the consonant "p" are essential to the rhyme. If you need help creating rhymes, try using a rhyming dictionary or going to the Rhyme Zone website.
Alliteration also sometimes makes use of consonants. Unlike rhyming, which occurs at the end of a word, alliteration makes use of the beginning of the word. Alliteration is a technique in which the writer repeats the same sound within close proximity in the poem. For example, the letter "p" could be used alliteratively: "people who pen poetry." Or dissimilar consonants could be used alliteratively to create similar sounds. For example: "Nate never knows"
Assonance, like rhyming and alliteration, makes use of similar sounds to create a pattern in a poem. Unlike rhyming or alliteration, however, assonance does not make use of similar consonants. The vowel sounds in words are similar, but the consonant sounds are not. For example, "boot" and "scoot" are rhymes, but "boot" and "shoe" are assonant. Assonance creates a sense of structure in a poem without requiring the writer to use only rhyming words.
Consonants are essential to another poetry technique: onomatopoeia. Onomatopoeia is a technique in which words sound similar to the sound they describe. For example, "hiss," "beep" and "buzz." Consonants are used in varying ways in words that use onomatopoeia. In the examples above, consonants are used both to extend a word or to punctuate it, depending on the nature of the sound's articulation.