Forget everything you think you know about repetition in literature for just a moment. Sure, in some ways, the term is pretty self-explanatory but did you know that in literature alone there are at least seven different types of repetition used in literature and oral speaking? Curious? Read on to learn more and see some really great examples not only in literature but also mediums such as film and music.
What is Repetition?
Repetition is a literary device in which the writer purposefully repeats a word or phrase in close proximity to each other. In literature, the word or phrase is repeated again and again. Repetition is particularly popular in poetry, prose, and speeches. In some instances, it adds emphasis and “catchiness” making a text or speech more memorable.
How to pronounce Repetition?
Why Do Writers Use Repetition?
Writers use repetition to create rhythm, emphasize a point, or draw attention to something. Repetition can also create urgency, evoke emotion, and contribute to the mood of a text. Sometimes, a writer may use repetition to emphasize a theme.
What are the 7 Types of Repetition in Literature?
Repetition comes in all forms and sizes, so to speak. Understandably, some argue there are more than a dozen different types of repetition in writing. Even so, the general consensus holds there exist seven primary types which are outlined below.
- Anaphora – This is the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or sentences that have different endings Example: Martin Luther King Jr.s “I Have a Dream” speech
- Epistrophe – The opposite of anaphora. Epistrophe is the repetition of the last word or phrase across successive phrases, clauses, or sentences. Example from The Bible – “When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.”
- Symploce – The combination of anaphora and epistrophe. One word or phrase is repeated at the beginning and another at the end of successive phrases, clauses, or sentences. Example: “When there is talk of hatred, let us stand up and talk against it. When there is talk of violence, let us stand up and talk against it.” – Bill Clinton
- Antanaclasis – The repetition of a word but using a different meaning each time. From the Greek “to bend back.” Example: Benjamin Franklin – “Your argument is sound, nothing but sound.”
- Antistasis – When antanaclasis incorporates different, or opposite, meanings. Example: Benjamin Franklin – “We must, indeed, all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately.” Basically, the two meanings are we can all work together, or we can all fail individually.
- Negative-Positive Restatement – Popular in speeches, this type of repetition makes a similar statement twice – first negatively, then positively. A famous example from John F. Kennedy is: ”Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.”
- Epizeuxis (a.k.a. palilogia) – The simple repetition of a word or phrase in immediate succession. Example: “O horror, horror, horror!” – MacBeth, Shakespeare
Repetition in Literature and Poetry 📚
Some of the most famous works in literature have used repetition to create some of the memorable, lyrical, and forceful works of art. While the compilation below barely scratches the surface, we hope you find the examples useful and informative.
Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad –
“Anything approaching the change that came over his features I have never seen before, and hope never to see again. He cried in a whisper at some image, at some vision—he cried out twice, a cry that was no more than a breath: “‘The horror! The horror!”
Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare –
“Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.
Oh, woeful, oh woeful, woeful, woeful day!”
The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald –
“The apartment was on the top floor-a small living-room, a small dining-room, a small bedroom, and a bath.”
And turning to poetry,
“The Bells,” Edgar Allen Poe –
“To the tintinabulation that so musically wells
From the bells, bells, bells, bells,
Bells, bells, bells—
From the jingling and the tinkling of the bells.”
And what better to conclude this section but on a note of hopeful determination from Maya Angelou’s “I Rise.”
Leaving behind nights of terror and fear
I rise
Into a daybreak that’s wondrously clear
I rise
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave.
I rise
I rise
I rise.
Repetition in Children’s Literature 🧸
No matter what the tool or device, the skilled writer knows how to make children’s literature fun for all ages.
- “You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose.” – Oh, the Places You’ll Go, Dr. Seuss
- “And the wild things roared their terrible roars and gnashed their terrible teeth and rolled their terrible eyes and showed their terrible claws.” – Where the Wild Things Are, Maurice Sendak
- “Goodnight room. Goodnight moon. Goodnight cow jumping over the moon.” – Goodnight Moon, Margaret Wise
Repetition in Song 🎧
Admittedly, this seems kind of like a no brainer. After all, almost every chorus in almost every song is repeated over the course of it. So just for fun, check out “Blue” from the Blue Man Group.
While fun and catchy, the song does actually have a point. The group uses the repetition of the word “blue” to represent depression on several levels and in different aspects of life.
Repetition in Movies 🎥
Repetition in film and movie dialogue is no exception. Examples abound in Hollywood.
In The Shining (1980), the phrase, “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy” is repeated throughout the movie.
And sure, if you single out one instance of repetition, in Groundhog Day (1993), Phil Connors, the main character, is stuck in a time loop, forced to relive the same day over and over again.More recently, Russian Doll (2019) follows much the same premise as Groundhog Day, but instead of repeating Groundhog Day, Nadia relives her death on the night of her birthday over-and-over again.
Repetition in Movie Dialogue and Pop Culture
“I’ll be back.” – Arnold Schwarzenegger as The Terminator in The Terminator (1984)
Ok, sure. While technically this is a catch phrase, the repetition could also serve as a foreshadowing given the overabundance of Terminator movies in existence. Regardless, it still makes a great montage so check out this clip of Terminator’s greatest hits.
Repetition in Advertising 📺
In advertising, the concept of repetition is simple. It doesn’t necessarily apply to the repetition of words, letters, phrases, or images. Rather, it pertains to the ad campaign overall. Much like laundry. Wash, rinse, repeat, repetition in marketing is repeating the ad again and again in order to make it memorable to the consumer on a subconscious level. Creepy, right?
Repetition of Sound is not the Same Thing as Repetition 👥
Some argue that alliteration, assonance, and consonance are their own types of repetition. To an extent, that is true. In their own right, each is a type of repetition. However, each is a repetition of sound which is different from normal repetition.
In literary analysis, experts consider repetition of sound, i.e., alliteration, assonance, and consonance, to be literary device techniques whereas repetition refers specifically to the repetition of words and phrases.