Through much of the poem, the speaker repeats the harsh “t” and “d” sounds, “The partial Muse, hath from my first hours, / Smil 'd on the rough path I am doomed to tread” (1-2). This repetition of the hard "t" and "d" sounds conveys the speaker's anger towards the talents bestowed upon her by the Muse. These sounds are very articulate and therefore full of mischief. Additionally, the speaker uses much softer “s” sounds, “And still with cheerful hand he plucked wildflowers, / To weave fantastic garlands for my head” (3-4). In contrast to the passion and rancor that characterize the “t” and “d” sounds, the speaker's “s” sounds are soft. These softer sounds reflect the speaker's sadness regarding the talents bestowed upon her by the Muse. This unique blend of consonances continues throughout the poem. Even in the final couplet, the speaker's consonance continues to increase the tension. In general, the final couplet of a sonnet serves to resolve the tension established by the previous twelve lines. In Smith's “Sonnet I,” however, the speaker's constant use of the hard “t” and “d” sounds and the soft “s” means that at the end of the sonnet, the tension remains unresolved: “ Ah! then, how much do the Muse's favors cost, / If those who feel it most paint pain best! (13-14). Similar to the three quatrains, the hard repetition of the “t” and “d” sounds and the soft repetition of the “s” sounds continue through the final lines of the sonnet. Clearly, the speaker is both angry and saddened by the fact that he has the ability to “paint the pain” simply because he “feels it more.” Throughout the entire poem, the speaker mixes harsh sounds with soft sounds to capture the two main feelings he possesses: anger and