Euphony	Cacophony
Serene or positive imagery "leads the ear"	Harsh or negative imagery "leads the ear"
Vowels, esp. long vowels, tend to be euphonious	Consonants, esp. guttural consonants, tend to be cacophonous (k, g)
Liquid, fricative, and nasal consonants tend to be euphonious because sustainable: l, m, n, s, f, r	Stop plosives tend to be cacophonous because abrupt: b, p, t, k, g
Relative ease of pronunciation is euphonious	Relative difficulty of pronunciation is cacophonous
Example: "Lap me in soft Lydian airs, married to immortal verse."  Note especially the positive imagery, ease of pronunciation, and predominance of sustainable consonants (l, m, n, s, f, l, n, r, s, m, r, m, l, r, r, s)	Example: "When Ajax strives some rock's vast weight to throw, / The line, too, labors, and the words move slow."  Note especially the imagery of effort and exertion and the difficulty of pronunciation caused by the close proximity of consonants: "Ajax strives some rock's vast weight to throw."