Advanced Placement Literary Tools: REPETITION
AP Language significance: If a writer repeats an idea, then that idea must have importance, as the act of repetition draws attention. Think: why does the author want you to focus on this word, phrase, or idea?
A writer can use repetition over the course of an extended work, within the confines of a particular segment (such as a paragraph), or in the structure of an individual sentence.
A writer does not repeat without reason--and the reason must be justifiable. Unnecessary or dull repetition detracts from a work. Well-placed and meaningful repetition adds to a work. To use repetition is to make a stylistic, artistic choice.
In your creative writing, consider repeating a word, phrase, or sentence at key points throughout your work. Below, please find terms, definitions, and examples for using repetition within a single sentence and/or series of sentences.
A writer can use repetition over the course of an extended work, within the confines of a particular segment (such as a paragraph), or in the structure of an individual sentence.
A writer does not repeat without reason--and the reason must be justifiable. Unnecessary or dull repetition detracts from a work. Well-placed and meaningful repetition adds to a work. To use repetition is to make a stylistic, artistic choice.
In your creative writing, consider repeating a word, phrase, or sentence at key points throughout your work. Below, please find terms, definitions, and examples for using repetition within a single sentence and/or series of sentences.
ADVANCED SYNTACTICAL STRUCTURES USING REPETITION
The following are common syntactical structures that use repetition. After reviewing each one, briefly explain why an author might choose to use this repetitive structure.
1. ALLITERATION: Repetition of the same letter or sound within nearby words. Most often, repeated initial consonants.
Why not waste a wild weekend at Westmore Water Park?
WHY MIGHT A WRITER USE THIS REPETITIVE STRUCTURE?
2. ANADIPLOSIS: The repetition of the last word (or phrase) from the previous line, clause, or sentence at the beginning of the next.
The love of wicked men converts to fear,
That fear to hate, and hate turns one or both To worthy danger and deserved death. —Shakespeare, Richard II 5.1.66-68 |
The following shows anadiplosis of a phrase:
...a man could stand and see the whole wide reach Of blue Atlantic. But he stayed ashore. He stayed ashore and plowed, and drilled his rows... — Charles Bruce, “Biography” |
WHY MIGHT A WRITER USE THIS REPETITIVE STRUCTURE?
3. ANAPHORA: Repetition of the same word or group of words at the beginning of successive clauses, sentences, or
lines.
lines.
This royal throne of kings, this sceptred isle,
This earth of majesty, this seat of Mars, This other Eden, demi-paradise, This fortress built by Nature for herself Against infection and the hand of war, This happy breed of men, this little world, This precious stone set in the silver sea, Which serves it in the office of a wall, |
Or as [a] moat defensive to a house,
Against the envy of less happier lands; This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England, This nurse, this teeming womb of royal kings [. . .] This land of such dear souls, this dear dear land, Dear for her reputation through the world, Is now leas'd out — I die pronouncing it -- Like to a tenement or pelting farm. |
WHY MIGHT A WRITER USE THIS REPETITIVE STRUCTURE?
4. ANTIMETABOLE (or Chiasmus): Repetition of words, in successive clauses, in reverse grammatical order.
When the going gets tough, the tough get going.
Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country. --John F. Kennedy
You can take the gorilla out of the jungle, but you can't take the jungle out of the gorilla.
Integrity without knowledge is weak and useless, and knowledge without integrity is dangerous and dreadful. —Samuel
Johnson, Rasselas
Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for
sweet, and sweetfor bitter! --Isaiah 5:20
CLICK HERE to see Antimetabole as "The Hottest Rhetorical Device of Campaign '08"
WHY MIGHT A WRITER USE THIS REPETITIVE STRUCTURE?
When the going gets tough, the tough get going.
Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country. --John F. Kennedy
You can take the gorilla out of the jungle, but you can't take the jungle out of the gorilla.
Integrity without knowledge is weak and useless, and knowledge without integrity is dangerous and dreadful. —Samuel
Johnson, Rasselas
Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for
sweet, and sweetfor bitter! --Isaiah 5:20
CLICK HERE to see Antimetabole as "The Hottest Rhetorical Device of Campaign '08"
WHY MIGHT A WRITER USE THIS REPETITIVE STRUCTURE?
5. ASSONANCE: Repetition of similar vowel sounds, preceded and followed by different consonants, in the stressed syllables of adjacent words.
The sergeant asked him to bomb the lawn with hotpots.
WHY MIGHT A WRITER USE THIS REPETITIVE STRUCTURE?
The sergeant asked him to bomb the lawn with hotpots.
WHY MIGHT A WRITER USE THIS REPETITIVE STRUCTURE?
6. EPANALEPSIS: Repetition of the same word or clause after intervening matter. More strictly, repetition at the end of a
line, phrase, or clause of the word or words that occurred at the beginning of the same line, phrase, or clause.
"In times like these, it is helpful to remember that there have always been times like these. " --Paul Harvey
"Believe not all you can hear, tell not all you believe." —Native American proverb
"A lie begets a lie." —English proverb
"To each the boulders that have fallen to each." — Robert Frost, "Mending Wall"
WHY MIGHT A WRITER USE THIS REPETITIVE STRUCTURE?
line, phrase, or clause of the word or words that occurred at the beginning of the same line, phrase, or clause.
"In times like these, it is helpful to remember that there have always been times like these. " --Paul Harvey
"Believe not all you can hear, tell not all you believe." —Native American proverb
"A lie begets a lie." —English proverb
"To each the boulders that have fallen to each." — Robert Frost, "Mending Wall"
WHY MIGHT A WRITER USE THIS REPETITIVE STRUCTURE?
7. EPISTROPHE: Ending a series of lines, phrases, clauses, or sentences with the same word or words.
What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny compared to what lies within us." —Emerson
Hourly joys be still upon you!
Juno sings her blessings on you. [. . .]
Scarcity and want shall shun you,
Ceres' blessing so is on you.
— Shakespeare, The Tempest (4.1.108-109; 116-17)
We are born to sorrow, pass our time in sorrow, end our days in sorrow.
WHY MIGHT A WRITER USE THIS REPETITIVE STRUCTURE?
What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny compared to what lies within us." —Emerson
Hourly joys be still upon you!
Juno sings her blessings on you. [. . .]
Scarcity and want shall shun you,
Ceres' blessing so is on you.
— Shakespeare, The Tempest (4.1.108-109; 116-17)
We are born to sorrow, pass our time in sorrow, end our days in sorrow.
WHY MIGHT A WRITER USE THIS REPETITIVE STRUCTURE?
8. ISOCOLON: series of similarly structured elements having the same length. A kind of parallelism.
Veni, vidi, vici (Caesar: "I came; I saw; I conquered")
WHY MIGHT A WRITER USE THIS REPETITIVE STRUCTURE?
Veni, vidi, vici (Caesar: "I came; I saw; I conquered")
WHY MIGHT A WRITER USE THIS REPETITIVE STRUCTURE?
Trouble remembering the terminology? Use word parts.
|
Polysyndeton = Many + Together + Bind, or “words bound together” Asyndeton = Not + Together + Bind, or “words not bound together” Anaphora = again + carry, or “words/phrases repeated [carried] throughout a text” Anadiplosis = again + double, or “repeated [doubled] phrase” Epanalepsis = in addition + again + a taking Epistrophe = upon + turning, or “wheeling about” Antimetabole = against + change |
RELATED LINKS
American Rhetoric
Follow links to "Figures of Sound." Here are posted media friendly examples of alliteration, anaphora, and other repeated sound devices--not to mention other useful tools.
Brigham Young University's FIgures of Repetition
Exceptional site compiling all literary terminology incorporating repetition. Includes models. NOTE: Don't be frightened by the big words. Simply observe how repeated words or phrases create memorable, standout sentences.
ChangingMinds.org
This website has compiled repetitive strategies used in persuasion. Scroll down past the advertisements.
American Rhetoric
Follow links to "Figures of Sound." Here are posted media friendly examples of alliteration, anaphora, and other repeated sound devices--not to mention other useful tools.
Brigham Young University's FIgures of Repetition
Exceptional site compiling all literary terminology incorporating repetition. Includes models. NOTE: Don't be frightened by the big words. Simply observe how repeated words or phrases create memorable, standout sentences.
ChangingMinds.org
This website has compiled repetitive strategies used in persuasion. Scroll down past the advertisements.