The musicality of poetry is heightened through the use of repetition. The use of repetition of a sound, syllable, word, phrase, line, stanza, or metrical pattern is a unifying device and can heighten the emotional impact of a piece.
There are several purposes for the use of repetition:
- The repetition reinforces, supplements, or may even substitutes for meter.
- The repetition of words in the same metrical pattern at regular intervals forms a refrain, as in ballads, often indicate shifts or developments of emotion.
- Finally, a line may be repeated in its entirity and immediately as a means of bringing a poem to a close.
Response Stance
Reflect on the poetry with the lens of discerning:
- The effect of a repeated phrase on reading and understanding of each poem
- The poet's purpose or intention for including repetition.
Middle Level Response
