Rasp refers to verbal roughness that the poet uses intentionally: dense consonants, blunt monosyllables, syntactic interruption, or a sudden tonal refusal. It can imitate grief, machinery, anger, or bodily discomfort, giving the poem a material resistance. A rasp is not simply bad euphony; its value depends on placement and purpose. When surrounded by smoother passages, one abrasive line can alter the reader’s breathing and make an emotional disturbance audible without naming it.

Use a rasp sparingly to interrupt smoothness and make discomfort audible. It may come from harsh consonants, blunt diction, a syntactic snag, or a sudden shift in register. Compare its effect with euphony, which emphasizes pleasing sound. A rasp is most effective when it serves the poem’s subject, such as using abrasive sounds in a poem about grief, machinery, or conflict; too much friction can become merely noisy.