repetition essay

30+ Repetition Examples: 13 Types + How to Use It Effectively

• Updated: 03/04/24
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Repetition is a powerful literary tool and a fundamental element of good writing in a multitude of contexts.

It can be harnessed to emphasize a point, evoke an emotion, create rhythm, and even to underline themes in a piece of work.

This article will delve into the repetition definition, various types of repetition, and some common examples to provide you with a comprehensive understanding of what it is and how it can be effectively employed in your writing.

Whether you’re a seasoned writer or a novice looking to finesse your technique, this guide is designed to equip you with valuable insights to elevate your written work!

What is Repetition in Writing?

Repetition is the repeating of words, phrases, or ideas within a piece of writing.

It can be used in various forms such as repetition of single words, phrases, entire sentences, or even structures.

It is a literary technique that has been utilized by writers for centuries to emphasize and reinforce key points, evoke emotions, and create a memorable impact on readers.

Moreover, repetition is not limited to literature or creative writing, it is also frequently employed in advertising and public speaking to make a message stick with the audience.

Now that we have an understanding of what repetition is, let’s dive into some examples of how it can be effectively used in writing.

13 Types of Repetition With Examples

Repetition is a very versatile literary device and can be used in many different ways.

Here are 10 types of repetition, accompanied by examples of each:

1. Anaphora

Anaphora is the repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of successive phrases.

One of the most famous anaphora examples comes from Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous “I have a dream” speech:

“I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.’ I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.” – Martin Luther King

Another example:

“ It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity…” – Charles Dickets, A Tale of Two Cities

2. Epistrophe

Epistrophe is similar to anaphora, but instead of repeating words or phrases at the beginning of clauses or sentences, it is repeated at the end.

An example can be found in this 2008 presidential victory speech:

“Because if we are willing to work for it and fight for it and believe in it, then I am absolutely certain that generations from now, we will be able to look back and tell our children…” – Barack Obama

3. Symploce

Symploce is the combination of anaphora and epistrophe, where a word or phrase is repeated at both the beginning and end of successive clauses or sentences.

A great example of repetition with symploce can be seen in ‘I Sing the Body Electric:’

“And if the body  does not do fully as much as  the soul ? And if the body  were not the soul, what is  the soul ?” – Walt Whitman

4. Alliteration

Alliteration is the repetition of initial consonant sounds in a series of words. It is commonly used in poetry and creates a musical effect.

Some common alliteration examples include:

• From The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald: “So we b eat on, b oats against the current, b orne b ack ceaselessly into the past.”
• From Shakespeare’s Beowulf: “To f east his f ill of the f lesh of men.”

5. Assonance

Similar to alliteration, assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in a series of words.

It creates a musical quality to your tone of writing and can evoke certain emotions in readers.

A simple repetition example of assonance can be heard in the words “cr y ing t i me” , where there is a repetition of the long “i” sound between each of the words.

6. Consonance

Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds within words, rather than just at the beginning.

It adds a sense of rhythm and musicality to writing.

For example,  “ L aura ca ll ed to te ll  me that  L i l a had fa ll en i ll .”

The consonant sound “L” is repeated throughout this phrase.

6. Anadiplosis

Anadiplosis is the repetition of a word or phrase at the end of one clause or sentence and then at the beginning of the next.

It creates a strong connection between ideas. For example:

“Fear leads to anger , anger leads to hate , hate leads to suffering.” – Yoda in Star Wars

7. Epanalepsis

Epanalepsis is the repetition of the same word or phrase at both the beginning and end of a clause or sentence.

It is used to create emphasis and make a point clear.

A famous example of repetition in literature in the form of epanalepsis is:

“ Blood hath brought blood , and blows answer to blows .” – William Shakespeare, Macbeth

Diacope is a type of repetition that occurs when the same word or phrase is repeated with other words in between.

It comes from the Greek word “diakopon” which means to cut through.

Some examples include:

• “To be , or not to be ” – William Shakespeare in Hamlet
• “ Bond . James Bond .” – James Bond movies
• “He’s so good at playing the guitar. It’s like he was born with a guitar in his hands.”

8. Polyptoton

Polyptoton is the repetition of words with different forms or tenses within a sentence.

It can add complexity and depth to writing. For example:

“I dreamed a dream.” – Les Misérables by Victor Hugo

9. Antistasis

Antistasis is the repetition of a word in a different sense or meaning within the same sentence.

It can create interesting wordplay and add depth to writing.

“ Nothing will come of nothing .” – Shakespeare, Hamlet

10. Antanaclasis

Antanaclasis is the repetition of a word or phrase in two different meanings. It can create clever wordplay and add depth to writing.

“Time flies like an arrow, but fruit flies like a banana.” Groucho Marx

In this example, the word flies has a different meaning in the context of time and the type of insects that love bananas.

“If you aren’t fired with enthusiasm, you will be fired with enthusiasm.” -Vince Lombardi

11. Epimone

Epimone is a repeated phrase or question to emphasize an important point.

It can also be used as a rhetorical device to engage and persuade readers.

One example of repetition in the form of epimone can be seen below:

“All his brains are in the nape of his neck , Simon Dedalus says. Welts of flesh behind on him. Fat folds of neck , fat , neck , fat , neck .” – James Joyce, Ulysses

12. Epizeuxis

Epizeuxis is the repetition of the same words or phrases for emphasis and intensity.

It adds emotional weight to writing and can create a sense of urgency.

• “ Never , never , never give up.” – Winston Churchill
• “Oh Romeo , Romeo , wherefore art thou Romeo ?” – William Shakespeare in Romeo and Juliet.

13. Negative-Positive Restatement

Negative-positive restatement is the repetition of an idea in both a negative and positive form or with opposite meanings.

It can highlight contrasts and add depth to writing.

An example can be found in this famous speech:

“We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools .” – Martin Luther King

The concept is not repeated, but rather the idea is restated in a negative and positive form.

30 Repetition Examples

Now that you have an idea of different types of repetition, here are some other common examples in various contexts.

Repetition Examples in Literature

• “Because I do not hope to turn again. Because I do not hope . Because I do not hope to turn…” – T.S. Eliot in Ash Wednesday
• “I felt happy because I saw the others were happy and because I knew I should feel happy .” – David Foster Wallace in Infinite Jest
• “I am Sam. Sam I am.” – Dr. Seuss in Green Eggs and Ham
• “And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep.” – Robert Frost in Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening
• “In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole , filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit- hole , and that means comfort.” – The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

Repetition Examples in Speeches and Politics

• “I have a dream.” – Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous speech
• “ Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” – John F. Kennedy’s inauguration speech
• “We will fight on the beaches, we will fight on the landing grounds, we will fight in the fields and in the streets…” – Winston Churchill’s speech
• “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt’s inaugural address
• “There is nothing wrong with America that cannot be cured by what is right with America .” – Bill Clinton’s inaugural address

Repetition Examples in TV and Film

• “ Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer. ” – The Godfather Part II
• “ With great power, comes great responsibility. ” – Spider-Man
• “I want the truth ! You can’t handle the truth !” – A Few Good Men (1992)
• “Are you talkin’ to me? Are you talkin’ to me?” – Taxi Driver
• “ Wax on. Wax off.” – The Karate Kid

Repetition Examples in Music

• “I want to break free. I want to break free.” – I Want to Break Free by Queen
• “I will follow you, Follow you wherever you may go” – I Will Follow You by Elvis Presley
• “Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be . Whisper words of wisdom, let it be.” – Let It Be by The Beatles
• “ I will always love you . I will always love you.” – I Will Always Love You by Whitney Houston
• “The love you get is equal to the love you make.” – The End by The Beatles

How to Use Repetition Effectively in Writing

Here are some tips to use repetition effectively in your writing:

• Choose the right type of repetition: Consider the purpose and tone of your writing to decide which form of repetition will be most effective. For example, if you want to add emphasis or intensity, epizeuxis might be a good choice. If you want to create an emotional connection, using positive-negative restatement can be effective.
• Use repetition for emphasis: Repetition is a powerful tool to emphasize important ideas or create a sense of urgency in your writing. Use it sparingly and strategically for best effect.
• Create rhythm: Repetition can also add rhythm and flow to your writing, making it more engaging and memorable for readers.
• Avoid overusing repetition: Too much repetition can be monotonous and boring for readers. Make sure to use it sparingly and vary your language to keep readers engaged.
• Consider the context: Repetition may not always be appropriate in certain contexts, such as academic or formal writing. Consider the purpose of your writing and audience before using repetition.
• Edit with intention: After writing, review your work and check if the repetition adds value or if it can be replaced with other techniques to improve the overall impact of your writing.

So next time you’re writing something, remember the power of repetition and use it effectively to engage and persuade your readers.

FAQs About Repetition

Repetition in literature refers to the recurrent use of words, phrases, or structures for emphasis or to make a point. One classic example is Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven,” where the word “nevermore” is repeated at the end of several stanzas, creating a haunting effect and emphasizing the speaker’s despair.

A good sentence showcasing repetition could be, “She runs fast, she runs efficiently, she runs like the wind.” In this sentence, the repetition of the phrase “she runs” creates emphasis on the speed and skill with which she runs. This repetition not only stresses the point but also adds rhythm to the sentence.

One famous example of repetition is Martin Luther King Jr.’s iconic speech, “I Have a Dream,” which repeats the phrase “I have a dream” multiple times for emphasis and to inspire hope in his audience. This repetition also adds rhythm and power to the speech, making it memorable and impactful.

Repetition is a common technique used in music to create rhythm, emphasize lyrics, or enhance the overall effect of a song. One popular example is the chorus of Beyonce’s hit song “Single Ladies,” where the phrase “if you like it then you should’ve put a ring on it” is repeated multiple times throughout the song. This repetition not only makes the chorus catchy and easy to remember, but it also reinforces the message of the song.

Key Takeaways for Writing Repetition

In conclusion, the use of repetition can greatly amplify the impact of your writing, whether it’s for a poem, a speech, or a song lyric.

When used judiciously, repetition can emphasize key points, evoke emotional responses, and create rhythm.

Famous writers, politicians, and musicians have employed this technique to bring their words to life and leave a lasting impression on their audience.

However, to avoid monotony, it is critical to use this tool sparingly and strategically.

Consider your purpose, audience, and overall context while applying repetition in your writing.

With the right balance, this literary device can turn your piece from ordinary to memorable!

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• How to avoid repetition and redundancy

How to Avoid Repetition and Redundancy in Academic Writing

Published on March 15, 2019 by Kristin Wieben . Revised on July 23, 2023.

Repetition and redundancy can cause problems at the level of either the entire paper or individual sentences. However, repetition is not always a problem as, when used properly, it can help your reader follow along. This article shows how to streamline your writing.

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Avoiding repetition at the paper level, avoiding repetition at the sentence level, when is repetition not a problem, other interesting articles.

On the most basic level, avoid copy-and-pasting entire sentences or paragraphs into multiple sections of the paper. Readers generally don’t enjoy repetition of this type.

Don’t restate points you’ve already made

It’s important to strike an appropriate balance between restating main ideas to help readers follow along and avoiding unnecessary repetition that might distract or bore readers.

For example, if you’ve already covered your methods in a dedicated methodology chapter , you likely won’t need to summarize them a second time in the results chapter .

If you’re concerned about readers needing additional reminders, you can add short asides pointing readers to the relevant section of the paper (e.g. “For more details, see Chapter 4”).

Don’t use the same heading more than once

It’s important for each section to have its own heading so that readers skimming the text can easily identify what information it contains. If you have two conclusion sections, try making the heading more descriptive – for instance, “Conclusion of X.”

Are all sections relevant to the main goal of the paper?

Try to avoid providing redundant information. Every section, example and argument should serve the main goal of your paper and should relate to your thesis statement or research question .

If the link between a particular piece of information and your broader purpose is unclear, then you should more explicitly draw the connection or otherwise remove that information from your paper.

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Keep an eye out for lengthy introductory clauses that restate the main point of the previous sentence. This sort of sentence structure can bury the new point you’re trying to make. Try to keep introductory clauses relatively short so that readers are still focused by the time they encounter the main point of the sentence.

In addition to paying attention to these introductory clauses, you might want to read your paper aloud to catch excessive repetition. Below we listed some tips for avoiding the most common forms of repetition.

• Use a variety of different transition words
• Vary the structure and length of your sentences
• Don’t use the same pronoun to reference more than one antecedent (e.g. “ They asked whether they were ready for them”)
• Avoid repetition of particular sounds or words (e.g. “ Several shelves sheltered similar sets of shells ”)
• Avoid redundancies (e.g “ In the year 2019 ” instead of “ in 2019 ”)
• Don’t state the obvious (e.g. “The conclusion chapter contains the paper’s conclusions”)

It’s important to stress that repetition isn’t always problematic. Repetition can help your readers follow along. However, before adding repetitive elements to your paper, be sure to ask yourself if they are truly necessary.

Restating key points

Repeating key points from time to time can help readers follow along, especially in papers that address highly complex subjects. Here are some good examples of when repetition is not a problem:

Restating the research question in the conclusion This will remind readers of exactly what your paper set out to accomplish and help to demonstrate that you’ve indeed achieved your goal.

Referring to your key variables or themes Rather than use varied language to refer to these key elements of the paper, it’s best to use a standard set of terminology throughout the paper, as this can help your readers follow along.

Underlining main points

When used sparingly, repetitive sentence and paragraph structures can add rhetorical flourish and help to underline your main points. Here are a few famous examples:

“ Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country” – John F. Kennedy, inaugural address

“…and that government of the people , by the people , for the people shall not perish from the earth.” – Abraham Lincoln, Gettysburg Address

If you want to know more about AI for academic writing, AI tools, or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

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Repetition in writing: why it happens, what it means, and how to fix it

Every editor has had this experience: deep into a manuscript, you find yourself reading a familiar passage. Sure enough, it duplicates content that was earlier in the manuscript. Don’t just delete it. Ask yourself why it’s there, and use that knowledge to make the manuscript better.

Why writers repeat themselves

All writers repeat information in nonfiction. Yup. Everyone repeats information. They repeat themselves. Pretty annoying, don’t you think?

Let’s say an author is writing a book on marketing. That author may have a heartfelt belief that it’s essential to measure the impact of emails — that’s sort of an idée fixe for the author.

The author may then, unconsciously, write about how to measure the impact of emails in multiple places. You read about it in the section on emails, then in the section on measurement, then in the section on how to attribute value to various marketing strategies.

Sometimes the author recollects having mentioned it before, and writes, “As I mentioned earlier” — and then repeats the same content.

This stuff drives readers crazy. The editor needs to flag and fix it.

But why does the writer do it?

The reason is frequently one or more of the following:

• The author has an idea they frequently like to reference.
• The author is writing in stream of consciousness, rather than following an organized plan.
• It’s not clear where the idea belongs, so it ends up in multiple places.
• The problematic organization of the manuscript makes it unclear where the idea best belongs, so pieces of it appear in different places.

There are three approaches to correcting repetition:

• Delete all but one instance.
• Reorganize the manuscript to eliminate the repetition.

Ignoring repetition is always the wrong approach

You could just leave the repeated passage in, or put a little “Once again,” in front of it.

This is a big mistake.

Readers annoyed at reading repeated content will stop reading. As a writer, you not only lose the ability to retain their attention, you replace it with resentment.

You may also be missing warning signs about deeper problems in the manuscript.

So don’t ignore the problem.

Delete and combine is the simplest approach

If the problem is just one repeated idea or passage, the solution is to determine where best to include it.

Look at the repeated passages. Bring them all together in a separate document. Identify the best sentences and phrases and facts, and assemble them into a single passage. Put that passage where it seems to fit best (often, the place where you introduce the idea).

In the other places, include a cross reference: “The justification is the Peter Principle, as I described in Chapter 2.”

Eliminating repetition in this way makes manuscripts shorter. That’s a good thing; fewer words means more impact .

If repetition recurs, consider reorganizing the manuscript

Sometimes, with a given manuscript organization, it’s hard to determine one place to put an idea. You might describe the idea in Chapter 2, explain how it applies to a given problem in Chapter 3, and show how it is an example of a larger idea in Chapter 7.

That’s fine. Just look at all those examples and make sure you’re not repeating exactly the same content. Build on earlier content create new insights in later content.

But if you find repetition all over the manuscript, it may be that your organization is wrong.

In the example of the marketing book I cited earlier, maybe there should be a chapter on email that describes all the ways to craft it, deploy it, and measure its impact. Perhaps the manuscript should be organized around channels (email, Web ads, social media, and so on) rather than being organized around stages (conceive, deploy, measure, adjust).

These are hard problems to solve. You’re basically looking at a two-dimensional table and deciding whether to organize your writing by rows or by columns. It’s even more challenging if there are more than two dimensions.

To decide if reorganizing is worth it, actually create that table and fill it in with ideas. You’ll soon see whether you can even go forward with rearranging the content.

The idea of reorganizing the content may seem intimidating. But in my experience, dreading it is far worse than actually doing it. You’d be amazed how quickly you can move around existing content and glue it together in a new way.

If repetition is telling you that your manuscript’s organization is flawed, put in the time to figure out why. Don’t ignore the warning signs. Because if you can fix them with a new organization, your book will not only be shorter, it will be easier to understand and remember.

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how is this repetition In the complicated field of family services, maintaining safety while maintaining confidentiality presents a challenge that demands professionals strike a careful balance between upholding privacy and shielding individuals or families from harm.

Excellent article. Great advice. Repetition in my yet unpublished memoir is something my conscience has pricked me about for years!

My problem is that I have written something in a way I liked and later written something else on the same or a similar topic in a way I liked even better than the first iteration!!

A screen can only show so much. I have been too stingy to print it all out but in the back of my mind I feel this and a real ink pen is the only satisfactory way of cutting the right bit(s) while retaining the significance of the point(s) I was making.

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Tuesday’s Tip: Repetition, Repetition, Repetition

This edition of Tuesday’s Tips is brought to us by Dr. Ryan Shirey , the Director of the WFU Writing Center .

One concern that students often have is that they are repeating themselves, either in word or idea, over the course of an essay. While repetition is not an inherently bad thing (and can quite often be used to great effect as in the classical rhetorical technique of anaphora or this old classic by The Fall ), most of us want to make sure that we’re not boring our readers by saying the same things over and over again without any variation or development.

If you are concerned that you might be getting a little too repetitive in your writing, you might try the following steps to identify and revise potentially repetitive portions of your text.

1) If you’re worried about repeating ideas, then one of the easiest and most illuminating things that you can do is to reverse outline your draft. When you reverse outline, you take your draft and distill each idea and piece of evidence back into an outline. Some writers like to do this in the margins and others prefer a separate sheet of paper. Whatever your preference, a reverse outline will let you see rather clearly whether or not you’ve returned to the same idea or piece of evidence multiple times in the same essay. If you find that you have, you can think about rearranging or cutting paragraphs as necessary.

2) Another strategy if you’re worried about repeating ideas is to use different colored highlighters, colored pencils, or coloring tools in a word processing program to mark areas of your text where you’re working on specific ideas . If I’m writing a paper on the history of the run up to World War I, for example, I might decide to mark all the areas where I discuss treaty arrangements in green , all the areas where I discuss colonial expansion in blue , the parts that discuss arms manufacturing and trade in red , the areas that take on nationalism in yellow , and so on. Once I’ve visualized these ideas with color, I can see more easily whether or not I keep returning to the same topics or whether I need to restructure any portions of my essay. Be careful, though–you don’t want to create artificial distinctions that might negatively impact your overall point. For instance, if a conflict over colonial expansion leads to a treaty arrangement, I would need to be very careful about using the context in which I’m discussing that treaty dictate how I code that sentence or paragraph.

3) If you are worried about repeating ideas because you have run out of things to write about, perhaps your best bet is to look for ways to open your text back up for discussion with questions. You might ask someone you trust to be critical to read your work with a skeptical eye and ask you any questions that arise. You can even play that role yourself and think of any possible counterarguments that a reader might make, even if you don’t find those arguments particularly persuasive yourself. Entertaining a different perspective and reframing your point might allow you to fill out your essay without repeating the same or similar points ad nauseam . One great way to get this kind of perspective is to (shameless plug) visit the WFU Writing Center !

4) If you’re worried about repeating words or phrases, you can use the “find” feature in your word processing program to highlight all of the instances where you’ve used it. Once you’ve identified the problem areas, you can look for ways to combine sentences using coordination or subordination, replace nouns with pronouns, or (very carefully) use a thesaurus to diversify your vocabulary. The first step here is developing enough of an ear to “hear” the repetition and then to make that repetition visible so that it can be addressed. One way that I’ve found particularly effective is to read my work aloud or even to record myself reading and to listen as if I were an audience member. Nothing will help you recognize word and phrase repetition like having to say the words on the page out loud–one of the many reasons why we take this very step in the Writing Center .

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Definition and Examples of Repetition in Writing

Glossary of Grammatical and Rhetorical Terms

• An Introduction to Punctuation
• Ph.D., Rhetoric and English, University of Georgia
• M.A., Modern English and American Literature, University of Leicester
• B.A., English, State University of New York

Repetition is an instance of using a word, phrase, or clause more than once in a short passage—dwelling on a point.

Needless or unintentional repetition (a tautology or pleonasm ) is a kind of clutter that may distract or bore a reader. (The baseless fear of repetition is humorously called  monologophobia .) 

Used deliberately, repetition can be an effective rhetorical strategy for achieving emphasis.

Types of Rhetorical Repetition With Examples

• Anadiplosis Repetition of the last word of one line or clause to begin the next. "My conscience hath a thousand several tongues, And every tongue brings in a several tale, And every tale condemns me for a villain." (William Shakespeare, "Richard III")
• Anaphora Repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or verses. " I want her to live. I want her to breathe. I want her to aerobicize." ("Weird Science," 1985)
• Antistasis Repetition of a word in a different or contrary sense. "A kleptomaniac is a person who helps himself because he can't help himself ." (Henry Morgan)
• Commoratio Emphasizing a point by repeating it several times in different words. "Space is big. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mind-bogglingly big it is. I mean, you may think it's a long way down the road to the chemist's, but that's just peanuts to space." (Douglass Adams, "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy," 1979)
• Diacope Repetition that is broken up by one or more intervening words. " A horse is a horse , of course, of course, And no one can talk to a horse of course That is, of course, unless the horse is the famous Mister Ed." (Theme song of 1960s TV program "Mr. Ed")
• Epanalepsis Repetition at the end of a clause or sentence of the word or phrase with which it began. " Swallow , my sister, O sister swallow , How can thine heart be full of the spring?" (Algernon Charles Swinburne, "Itylus")
• Epimone Frequent repetition of a phrase or question; dwelling on a point. "And I looked upwards, and there stood a man upon the summit of the rock; and I hid myself among the water-lilies that I might discover the actions of the man. ... "And the man sat upon the rock, and leaned his head upon his hand, and looked out upon the desolation. ... And I lay close within shelter of the lilies, and observed the actions of the man. And the man trembled in the solitude;—but the night waned, and he sat upon the rock." (Edgar Allan Poe, "Silence") "The man who stood, who stood on sidewalks, who stood facing streets, who stood with his back against store windows or against the walls of buildings, never asked for money, never begged, never put his hand out." (Gordon Lish, "Sophistication")
• Epiphora Repetition of a word or phrase at the end of several clauses. "She's safe, just like I promised . She's all set to marry Norrington, just like she promised . And you get to die for her, just like you promised ." (Jack Sparrow, The Pirates of the Caribbean )
• Epizeuxis Repetition of a word or phrase for emphasis, usually with no words in between. "If you think you can win , you can win ." (William Hazlitt) "Will you ever be old and dumb, like your creepy parents? Not you, not you, not you, not you, not you, not you." (Donald Hall, "To a Waterfowl")
• Gradatio A sentence construction in which the last word of one clause becomes the first of the next, through three or more clauses (an extended form of anadiplosis ). "To exist is to change , to change is to mature , to mature is to go on creating oneself endlessly." (Henri Bergson)
• Negative-Positive Restatement A method of achieving emphasis by stating an idea twice, first in negative terms and then in positive terms. "Color is not a human or personal reality; it is a political reality." (James Baldwin)
• Ploce Repetition of a word with a new or specified sense, or with pregnant reference to its special significance. "If it wasn't in Vogue , it wasn't in vogue ." (Promotional slogan for Vogue magazine)
• Polyptoton Repetition of words derived from the same root but with different endings. "I hear the voices, and I read the front page, and I know the speculation. But I'm the decider , and I decide what is best." (George W. Bush, April 2006)
• Symploce Repetition of words or phrases at both the beginning and end of successive clauses or verses: a combination of anaphora and epiphora. " They are not paid for thinking— they are not paid to fret about the world's concerns. They were not respectable people—they were not worthy people—they were not learned and wise and brilliant people—but in their breasts, all their stupid lives long, resteth a peace that passeth understanding!" (Mark Twain, "The Innocents Abroad," 1869)

Needless Repetition

When a writer repeats a word or phrase for no meaningful or literary purpose it ends up being a distraction.

• "Moore's sentence imposed the maximum 24-month sentence under federal sentencing guidelines." ("Man Sentenced to 24 Months in Paula Deen Extortion Bid." Savannah Morning News , September 17, 2013)
• My favorite painting is the painting I did of my dog in that painting in my den.
• "Johnson is currently serving as a scholar in residence at Savannah State where he is currently working on a book about his life." ("Still Sailing on the Winds of Change."  Savannah Morning News , August 23, 2015)
• "If you compare fly-fishing with ice fishing , you will find that fly-fishing is more exciting than ice fishing ." (Stephen Wilbers in "Keys to Great Writing")
• "Some text  editors  and reporters exhibit in their copy the kind of phobia that makes us go downstairs ten times to check that the light is off. They have a nagging doubt that the reader has not quite got the point--so they keep going on about it. Once is enough for most pieces of information. When the information is merely incidental its   repetition is doubly irritating. Here's an example from  The New York Times : A disappointment among the data is that while infant mortality has continued to decline, and is almost at the goal,  there remains a great disparity between the rate for whites and for Blacks . The death rate among Black infants is about twice that for whites, Dr. Richmond said. 'and has been that way for decades.' The italicized words in the original story tell us nothing. So it boils down to: A disappointment is that while infant mortality has continued to decline, almost to the goal, the death rate among Black infants is about twice that for whites . . ." (Harold Evans,  Essential English for Journalists, Editors and Writers , rev. ed. Pimlico, 2000) 

Observations

" [R]epetition skulks under numerous different names, one might almost say aliases, depending on who is repeating what where:

When parrots do it, it's parrotting. When advertisers do it, it's reinforcement. When children do it, it's imitation. When brain-damaged people do it, it's perseveration or echolalia. When disfluent people do it, it's stuttering or stammering. When orators do it, it's epizeuxis, ploce, anadiplosis, polyptoton or antimetabole. When novelists do it, it's cohesion. When poets do it, it's alliteration, chiming, rhyme, or parallelism. When priests do it, it's ritual. When sounds do it, it's gemination. When morphemes do it, it's reduplication. When phrases do it, it's copying. When conversations do it, it's reiteration.

In sum, the following alphabetical list of 27 terms covers repetition's commonest guises, though there are undoubtedly more to be found in specialized areas such as classical rhetoric :

Alliteration, anadiplosis, antimetabole, assonance, battology, chiming, cohesion, copying, doubling, echolalia, epizeuxis, gemination, imitation, iteration, parallelism, parrotting, perseveration, ploce, polyptoton, reduplication, reinforcement, reiteration, rhyme, ritual, shadowing, stammering, stuttering

As the numerous names suggest, repetition covers an enormous area. In one sense, the whole of linguistics can be regarded as the study of repetition, in that language depends on repeated patterns." (Jean Aitchison,  "'Say, Say It Again Sam': The Treatment of Repetition in Linguistics." Repetition, ed. by Andreas Fischer. Gunter Narr Verlag, 1994)

" Repetition is a far less serious fault than obscurity. Young writers are often unduly afraid of repeating the same word, and require to be reminded that it is always better to use the right word over again, than to replace it by a wrong one--and a word which is liable to be misunderstood is a wrong one. A frank repetition of a word has even sometimes a kind of charm--as bearing the stamp of truth, the foundation of all excellence of style." (Theophilus Dwight Hall, "A Manual of English Composition." John Murray, 1880)

• Figure of Speech: Definition and Examples
• The Top 20 Figures of Speech
• What Is a Rhetorical Device? Definition, List, Examples
• What Is a Phrase? Definition and Examples in Grammar
• Subordinating Conjunctions
• Definition and Examples of Symploce in Rhetoric
• Effective Rhetorical Strategies of Repetition
• What Is Epiphora?
• Anadiplosis: Definition and Examples
• Traductio: Rhetorical Repetition
• Ploce: Definition and Examples
• What Does Anaphora Mean as a Figure of Speech?
• Definitions and Examples of Epistrophe
• Ways of Achieving Emphasis in Writing and in Speech
• Brief Introductions to Common Figures of Speech
• Definition, Examples of the Rhetorical Term Epanalepsis

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Last updated on Jun 21, 2024

29 Must-Know Examples of Repetition in Literature

Editing 101 will always tell you the same thing: avoid repetition in your writing. But make no mistake, repetition isn’t a pariah in  the world of prose! In fact, when executed with finesse, it can make a piece of writing all the more compelling.

This post will take you through the basics of repetition. And because the best way to understand a literary device is to see it in skilled action, we’ll also cover 29 remarkable examples of repetition in literature. (To skip past the next section where we define repetition, you can jump straight to those examples !)

Repetition definition

Repetition is the act of repeating sounds, words, phrases, or full sentences. As a literary device ( find out more about those here ), it’s used to stress key points or to achieve a certain rhythm, tone, or style of prose — which is why you’ll often find it in poetry.

However, while it can highlight important details or enhance rhythm, repetition needs to be done with care. If you accidentally repeat words or re-state the same information for readers over and over (and over) again, it can become jarring. For instance, if you’ve already told readers that a character has an unusual beauty mark on their shoulder, mention it once and leave it at that. Hearing about the beauty mark  every time that character is in a scene is tiring. If it’s crucial to bring it up more than once, find new and interesting ways of bringing attention to it — instead of just stating its existence, maybe you can have another character comment on it.

If you’re going to repeat a word, phrase, or idea, it needs to have a purpose . Pinpoint exactly why it needs to be said again — or if there’s another way you present it that adds more to the narrative.

To figure out the right way to use this literary device, you first have to learn the different types of repetition.

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Types of repetition

Did you know that there are at least 15 main types of repetition? They fall into two categories: words and sounds. Let’s start with...

Repetition of Words

1. Anadiplosis The last word of a clause or sentence is repeated as the first word of the next one.

Example: "Fear leads to anger; anger leads to hatred; hatred leads to conflict; conflict leads to suffering." — Yoda, in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace .

2. Anaphora The word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or sentences is repeated.

Example: “It rained on his lousy tombstone, and it rained on the grass on his stomach. It rained all over the place.” — The Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger

3. Antistasis The repetition of words or phrases in different or contrary senses.

Example: “We must, indeed, all hang together or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately.”  — Benjamin Franklin

4. Conduplicatio The frequent repetition of a word or phrase within a paragraph, in order to expand upon its meaning.

Example: “Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children." — Martin Luther King, Jr.

5. Diacope The repetition of words separated be additional words, which alter their meaning.

Example: “We few, we happy few, we band of brothers.” — Henry V by Shakespeare

6. Epanalepsis The word both at the beginning and at the end of the clause or sentence is repeated.

Example: “Next time there won't be a next time.” — Phil Leotardo, in The Sopranos

7. Epimone The word or phrase is repeated to place emphasis on its meaning.

Example: “Mr. Dick shook his head, as utterly renouncing the suggestion; and having replied a great many times, and with great confidence, ‘No beggar, no beggar, no beggar, Sir!’” — David Copperfield by Charles Dickens (Are you a Dickens fan? Read up on 15 of his classics novels in our guide to Dickens!)

8. Epiphora The repetition of a word or phrase at the end of a series of clauses or sentences.

Example: If you did know to whom I gave the ring, If you did know for whom I gave the ring And would conceive for what I gave the ring And how unwillingly I left the ring, When naught would be accepted but the ring, You would abate the strength of your displeasure. — The Merchant of Venice by Shakespeare

9. Epizeuxis The successive repetition of a word or phrase within one clause or sentence.

Example: “The horror, the horror.” — Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

10. Negative-Positive Restatement An idea or phrase is presented in negative terms, and then repeated in positive terms.

Example: “The tragedy of old age is not that one is old, but that one is young.” — The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

11. Polyptoton The same root word is repeated in different forms.

Example: “Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.” — Happy Birthday to You! by Dr. Seuss

12. Symploce The repetition of a word or phrase both at the end and at the beginning of a clause or sentence. (In other words, a combination of  anaphora and epiphora.)

Example: "The yellow fog that rubs its back upon the window-panes, The yellow smoke that rubs its muzzle on the window-panes…” — “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” by T.S. Eliot

Sound Repetition

Do you hear that? Is it bat, a rat, or a gnat? And speaking of sounds that repeat themselves, let’s take a look at...

13. Alliteration The successive repetition of consonant sounds in the stressed part of a word.

Example: “She sells seashells by the sea-shore.”

14. Assonance The vowel sounds are repeated.

Example: “"Hear the mellow wedding bells…” — “The Bells” by Edgar Allan Poe

15. Consonance The repetition of consonant sounds in successive or closely connected words. The difference between consonance and alliteration is that alliteration is at the beginning of the word (so “Peter Piper”), but consonance can be anywhere in the word.

Example: I'll swing by my ankles. She'll cling to your knees. As you hang by your nose, From a high-up trapeze. But just one thing, please, As we float through the breeze, Don't sneeze. — “The Acrobats” by Shel Silverstein

Okay, now that we’ve gotten seamlessly up to speed (pardon the alliteration), on the different types of repetition, let’s look at some exemplary examples from literature (pardon the polyptoton).

Repetition examples in literature

Let’s turn this section into a little quiz. Try to guess what kind of repetition each quote is using as you read through — the answers will be provided at the bottom!

Example #1:  The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

"Space is big. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mind-bogglingly big it is. I mean, you may think it's a long way down the road to the chemist's, but that's just peanuts to space."

Example #2:  The Innocents Abroad by Mark Twain

"They are not paid for thinking--they are not paid to fret about the world's concerns. They were not respectable people--they were not worthy people--they were not learned and wise and brilliant people--but in their breasts, all their stupid lives long, resteth a peace that passeth understanding!"

Example #3: Deep River by Shusaku Endo

“Hatred was spreading everywhere, blood was being spilled everywhere, wars were breaking out everywhere.”

Example #4:  A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way—in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.”

Example #5:  Beloved by Toni Morrison

“Beloved is mine; she is Beloved.”

Example #6:  Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

“What I present here is what I remember of the letter, and what I remember of the letter I remember verbatim (including that awful French).”

Example #7:  Outer Dark by Cormac McCarthy

“And stepping softly with her air of blooded ruin about the glade in a frail agony of grace she trailed her rags through dust and ashes…”

Answers:  a) Epimone; b) Symploce; c) Epistrophe; d) Anaphora; e) Epanalepsis; f) Anadiplosis; g) Assonance

Examples of repetition in poetry

Repetition is especially prevalent in poetry, as it can help achieve a certain resonance with readers . Again, read through the following examples of poetic repetition and guess what type each uses.

Example #1: "Stopping by Woods On a Snowy Evening" by Robert Frost

“The woods are lovely, dark, and deep, But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep.”

Example #2: "Do Not Go Gentle into the Good Night" by Dylan Thomas

“Do not go gentle into that good night, Old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage, against the dying of the light. Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight, Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay, Rage, rage against the dying of the light.”

Example #3: “Annabel Lee” by Edgar Allen Poe

“It was many and many a year ago, In a kingdom by the sea, That a maiden there lived whom you may know By the name of Annabel Lee; And this maiden she lived with no other thought Than to love and be loved by me.”

Example #4: "Song of Myself, 3" by Walt Whitman

“There was never any more inception than there is now, Nor any more youth or age than there is now, And will never be any more perfection than there is now, Nor any more heaven or hell than there is now.”

Example #5: "A Child is Born" by Stephen Vincent Benet

“Life is not lost by dying! Life is lost Minute by minute, day by dragging day, In all the thousand, small uncaring ways.”

Example #6: "The Gnome, The Gnat, & The Gnu" by Shel Silverstein

" I saw an ol' gnome Take a gknock at a gnat Who was gnibbling the gnose of his gnu. I said, "Gnasty gnome, Gnow, stop doing that."

Example #7: "Coda" by Dorothy Parker

“There’s little in taking or giving, There’s little in water or wine; This living, this living, this living Was never a project of mine.”

Answers : a) Epizeuxis; b) Assonance; c) Consonance; d) Epiphora; e) Diacope; f) Alliteration ; g) Epizeuxis

Now that you know how to make repetition your writing’s best friend, let’s give a shout-out to your best friend when it comes to removing unnecessary repetition : CTRL+F. We are all guilty of over-relying on specific words that crop up in our writing again and again. Get acquainted with your own habitual words, and then use CTRL+F to sweep your document for them. Find, remove, repeat ! 😊

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Table of Contents

Collaboration, information literacy, writing process, creating flow via repetition.

• © 2023 by Joseph M. Moxley

Writers enhance flow by repeating key words or phrases in a text to invoke recall and pathos .

Repetition is key to improving a paragraph’s flow, connecting related ideas and keeping the reader on track. Still, there is a difference between obvious and boring repetition and intriguing and effective repetition.

Consider this paragraph:

My brother is older and he has always been protective of me. One way that I can see that he is protective is that he always has my back and protects me from any danger. One time, I was getting picked on by some bullies at school, and he came to my rescue and defended me from them. My big brother is awesome because he always protects me from everything. Sometimes, though, that’s not always the best thing, either.

This paragraph stays on topic, but the repetition is boring, not effective. The writer uses the same words (protect, protective, protector, etc.), and states that this behavior has occurred, but offers no real specific examples.

Consider this revision:

My older brother has always protected me; I know that he will keep me safe from danger. When I was bullied on the way to school, my brother rearranged his schedule so that he could walk me there, shielding me from abuse with his hulking presence and the silent threat emanating from his glowering expression. The kids who had been picking on me quickly learned to stay away from me because they knew I had a brother who would be happy to defend my honor–with his fists, if necessary. Though it never came to a physical fight, I know that my brother was happy to keep his little sister safe back then–and he will continue to protect me in the years to come.

This has more details, clearly, but it also has better flow because the ideas stack on top of one another, adding more depth with each detail while staying focused on the same idea. The ideas are repeated effectively–but not verbatim. The writer has varied the vocabulary here (protected, safe from danger, shielding, defend my honor, safe, protect). The paragraph begins and ends with the same idea–protection–so readers can follow without difficulty.

See how the ideas are repeated in this revision:

My older brother has always  protected me ; I know that he will keep me  safe from danger . When I was bullied on the way to school, my brother rearranged his schedule so that he could walk me there,  shielding me from abuse  with his hulking presence and the silent threat emanating from his glowering expression. The kids who had been picking on me quickly learned to stay away from me because they knew I had a brother who would be happy to  defend my honor –with his fists, if necessary. Though it never came to a physical fight, I know that my brother was happy to keep his little sister  safe  back then–and he will continue to  protect me  in the years to come.

The words in bold effectively repeat the main idea of the paragraph without being boring.

Brevity - Say More with Less

Clarity (in Speech and Writing)

Coherence - How to Achieve Coherence in Writing

Flow - How to Create Flow in Writing

Inclusivity - Inclusive Language

The Elements of Style - The DNA of Powerful Writing

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Academic Writing – How to Write for the Academic Community

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Page Design – How to Design Messages for Maximum Impact

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Featured Articles

What is Repetition in Writing? Examples, Definitions, and How to Create Them

Repe t ition, or epistrophe, is w hen you use the same words or phrases more than once in your writing.  It can be used to emphasize certain points or ideas , but it can also get really annoying , really quickly . So use it sparing ly , or you risk making your reader want to hit the ‘ skip ‘ button . A famous example is the ‘ ros es are red , v io lets are blue ‘ of the classic Valentine ‘s Day poem .

The Purpose of Repetition in Writing

Repetition serves various functions in writing. It can be the salt in the soup, the cherry on top, or the annoying fly buzzing around the reader’s head. Let’s explore some of the key reasons why writers choose to use repetition:

Emphasis on a Point

Sometimes, a point is so important that it deserves a bit of extra attention. Repetition can help drive home the point and make sure it sticks in the reader’s mind like gum on a shoe.

Establishing Rhythm and Flow

Setting a mood or tone.

Repeating words or phrases can also help to set a particular mood or tone. Like a foghorn in the distance, repetition can evoke feelings of suspense, anticipation, or even unease.

Unifying Ideas

Repetition can serve as a thread that ties together different ideas or themes in a piece of writing. It can be the glue that holds the entire piece together, providing a sense of cohesion and unity.

Types of Repetition

Repetition comes in many flavors, each with its unique taste. Here are a few types of repetition that writers often use:

To survive, they needed food. To survive, they needed water. To survive, they needed shelter.

Epiphora, also known as epistrophe, is the repetition of a word or phrase at the end of consecutive clauses or sentences. It’s like a drum roll leading to a big finale. For example:

He wanted to go on an adventure, but fear held him back. He wanted to chase his dreams, but fear held him back. He wanted to live life to the fullest, but fear held him back.

Alliteration

Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words. It can make a sentence feel as smooth as a river stone or as jagged as a mountain peak. For example:

Silly Sally swiftly shooed seven sneaky snakes.

Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in words. Like a warm cup of cocoa on a chilly night, it can create a comforting sense of harmony. For example:

The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain.

Examples of Repetition in Literature

Example 1: “the raven” by edgar allan poe.

In this classic poem, Poe uses the word “nevermore” as a refrain. The repetition of this word helps to create a haunting, melancholic atmosphere.

“Quoth the Raven, ‘Nevermore.'”

Example 2: “A Tale of Two Cities” by Charles Dickens

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness…”

Example 3: “Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night” by Dylan Thomas

Thomas employs repetition in this poem to create a sense of urgency and defiance:

“Do not go gentle into that good night, Old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light.”

How to Create Repetition in Writing

Now that we’ve seen repetition in action, let’s explore some tips for adding a sprinkle of repetition to your own writing:

1. Identify the Purpose

Before using repetition, consider the purpose it will serve. Is it for emphasis, rhythm, mood, or unity? Knowing the purpose will help guide you in choosing the right type of repetition.

2. Keep It Simple

3. use it sparingly.

Like hot sauce on a taco, a little repetition goes a long way. Too much repetition can become tiresome or annoying to the reader. Use it judiciously to keep the reader engaged and interested.

4. Vary Your Repetition

5. revise and edit.

In conclusion, repetition can be a powerful tool in a writer’s toolbox when used with care and intention. By understanding its purpose, types, and how to use it effectively, you can create memorable, engaging pieces that resonate with readers. Now, go forth and repeat—just not too much!

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Related posts, what is dramatic irony in writing examples, definitions, and how to create them, the carnal power of idea sex, what is a zeugma in writing examples, definitions, and how to create them, leave a comment cancel reply.

Definition of Repetition

Common examples of repetition, examples of repetition in movie lines, famous examples of repetition, differences between repetition of sounds.

In addition to using repeating words and phrases as a literary device, writers may use repetition of sounds as well. Overall, the repetition of sound can provide rhythm , pacing , and musicality to a work of poetry or prose. These types of repeated sounds are consonance , assonance , and alliteration .

Writing Repetition

It’s essential that writers bear in mind that their audience may experience fatigue if repetition is overused. As a literary device, repetition should be used deliberately and not just for the sake of repeating a word or phrase. However, when used properly, repetition can be an influential device in writing.

Sense of Rhythm

Create emphasis, purpose of repetition in literature, use of repetition in sentences, examples of repetition in literature, example 1: macbeth (william shakespeare).

Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow , Creeps in this petty pace from day to day, To the last syllable of recorded time; And all our yesterdays have lighted fools The way to dusty death.

 Example 2: A Dog Has Died (Pablo Neruda; translated by Alfred Yankauer)

My dog has died. I buried him in the garden next to a rusted old machine. Some day I’ll join him right there, but now he’s gone with his shaggy coat, his bad manners and his cold nose, and I, the materialist, who never believed in any promised heaven in the sky for any human being, I believe in a heaven I’ll never enter. Yes, I believe in a heaven for all dogdom where my dog waits for my arrival waving his fan-like tail in friendship.

Neruda achieves this through the poet stating that he does not believe in a heaven for humans, but he does believe in a heaven for dogs. The fact that the poet will “never enter” this heaven for “dogdom” indicates his realization that the dog’s death means a permanent separation of their friendship. Through this repetition of heaven as a concept for dogs but not humans, the reader gains an even greater sense of the grief the poet must be experiencing. The image of the dog waiting for his human’s arrival in heaven is therefore even more heartbreaking.

Example 3: The Ballad of the Sad Cafe (Carson McCullers)

But the hearts of small children are delicate organs. A cruel beginning in this world can twist them into curious shapes. The heart of a hurt child can shrink so that forever afterward it is hard and pitted as the seed of a peach. Or again, the heart of such a child may fester and swell until it is a misery to carry within the body, easily chafed and hurt by the most ordinary things.

Synonyms of Repetition

Related posts:, post navigation.

What is repetition? At its simplest, repetition is a word or phrase used multiple times in a text, for the purpose of emphasizing an emotion or idea. It might seem counterintuitive to repeat, repeat, repeat, but when wielded correctly, the repetition of words and phrases has powerful effects in literature.

You’re most likely to find examples of repetition in poetry, but both poetry and prose utilize the same devices, like epizeuxis, anadiplosis, and chiasmus. We’ll dive into those strange Greek words in a minute, but before dissecting the types of repetition, let’s properly define repetition in literature. What is repetition?

Repetition Definition: Contents

Repetition Definition

• Repetition in Poetry

11 Types of Repetition in Literature

• Anadiplosis
• Antanaclasis
• Antimetabole
• Antistrophe
• Epanalepsis

What is the Effect of Repetition?

How not to use repetition in your writing.

When a writer utilizes repetition, they’re putting multiple iterations of a word or phrase in close proximity to each other. In other words, a word or phrase is repeated to provide clarity and emphasis, highlighting deeper meanings in the text.

Repetition definition: an instance where a word or phrase is repeated to provide clarity and emphasis, highlighting deeper meanings in the text.

Now, repetition in literature can be both subtle and obvious, and writers can get very creative about what those repeating words signify. For example, take this excerpt from Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s “ The Rime of the Ancient Mariner ”:

In 11 words, “alone” is repeated 4 times, while “all” and “wide” are repeated twice each. Each word contributes its own importance to the poem. “All” emphasizes the intensity of the speaker’s aloneness, and while the word “alone” highlights the speaker’s solitude, “wide” highlights the vast amount of space between the speaker and anything else. The repetition here evokes the image of an insignificant dot floating in an endless nothingness—a loneliness without end.

What is Repetition in Poetry?

It’s easy to find examples of repetition in poetry and in prose, but it’s much easier to execute repetition in poetry. Why do poets use repetition? Poetry has greater freedom in syntax and structure, so poets have more tools at their disposal to repeat themselves stylishly and effectively.

Indeed, because of poetry’s brevity and concision, repetition is almost necessary to write a good poem . You’ll find in many great poems that a certain idea or image is repeated, with some modification, throughout the work.

Certain poetry forms also require repetition, typically in the form of a refrain. A refrain is a phrase or line that gets repeated in an intentional, specific way, with little modification. The villanelle , for example, has two refrains woven throughout the poem. Other forms, like the duplex or the sestina , don’t have refrains, but they do require words or lines to be repeated in a highly structured format.

Repetition in poetry: A refrain is a phrase or line that gets repeated in an intentional, specific way, with little modification.

Why is repetition in poetry so important? A great poem will look at a single idea from many different angles. Through that idea’s juxtaposition with different thoughts and images, the idea becomes multifaceted, in a way that a poem’s repetition and concision make possible. Additionally, the poem is often a site of obsession, and repetition in poetry enables the poet to explore that obsession in an intentional, artful way.

Now, let’s take a look at the types of repetition in literature—both prose and poetry—before looking at more repetition examples in each genre.

Repetition is as old as literature, though these devices were especially prominent in both Ancient Greece and Rome. These devices exist partially because of their emphatic value, and partially because literature was often retold orally, so repetition helped storytellers remember “what comes next” as they recited their work.

As such, the following repetition devices all have Greek names. For the modern English speaker, this makes remembering each device a bit confusing—how am I supposed to know my antistrophe from my antanaclasis?

As such, we’ve defined each device next to the word itself, making these types of repetition easier to navigate. In addition to using these devices in your writing, you can also impress your friends by telling them what they just said is an antimetabole.

We’ve provided some repetition examples in literature alongside each device below. Here are 11 types of repetition in poetry and prose.

1. Anadiplosis—Repetition in Successive Clauses

Anadiplosis is when a word or phrase is repeated in successive clauses. Usually, the phrase shows up at the end of one clause and the beginning of the next.

You’ll find anadiplosis often in classic literature, and this device is especially prevalent in the Bible. Take this excerpt from the Book of Genesis (1:1-2):

In this passage, “the earth” ends the first sentence and starts the second. This puts the earth at the center of the text, emphasizing its importance and outsized presence in Genesis.

Anadiplosis can also be used to offer a sense of placement. Take this example of repetition, from the poem “ The Isles of Greece ” by Lord Byron:

In this excerpt, the reader can view the arrangement of the landscape. We see Marathon literally situated between the mountains and the sea, because it’s situated that same way in the text, which also emphasizes Marathon’s importance to the poem itself.

2. Anaphora—Repetition at the Beginning of Lines or Clauses

For the most part, anaphora is an example of repetition in poetry. This device involves the repeated use of a word or phrase at the beginning of each line in a poem, or each sentence in prose.

Let’s look at repetition examples for each. In poetry, anaphora is present in the piece “ The Delight Song of Tsoai-talee ” by N. Scott Momaday. Read this poem at our article Literary Devices in Poetry .

In prose, consider this sentence from the novel Farewell, My Lovely by Raymond Chandler:

The repeating phrase “I needed” highlights the narrator’s desperation, especially since each need is a luxury only afforded to the wealthy and comfortable. The following sentence, which describes the narrator’s belongings, offers insight into the narrator’s psyche and behavior—we know his needs and what he has to obtain those needs.

3. Antanaclasis—Successive Repetition of a Word, In Which Each Use Has a Different Meaning

One word can have many different meanings, especially in the English language. Did you know that the word “set” has 430 different usages described in the Oxford English Dictionary?

Antanaclasis harnesses this facet of language so that each repetition of words has a different meaning.

Take this example of repetition, from Robert Frost’s poem “ Stopping by Woods on Snowy Evening .”

The repetition of the last line, and particularly the phrase “I sleep,” clues the reader towards two different meanings. The first “I sleep” is clearly referring to rest, while the second “I sleep” probably refers to the speaker’s death. This double meaning of “sleep” suggests the speaker has much more work to do before he can comfortably rest, both at night and at the end of his life.

4. Antimetabole—Phrases or Sentences Repeated in Reverse Grammatical Order

Antimetabole is when phrases or sentences are repeated in reverse order, with the intent of juxtaposing different meanings. In both clauses, the grammatical structure is exactly the same. This device is closely related to chiasmus, but with a slight difference that we explain later below.

This device is much easier to demonstrate than to define. See the below repetition examples, each of which uses inverted word order to emphasize a certain point:

This quote, spoken by Festes in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night , repeats “wit” and “fool” in inverse order. The effect is that Festes underlines the importance of wit, and that foolishness and wit are not mutually exclusive: a “fool” or clown can be witty, which is far better than actually being a foolish person.

Here’s another example of antimetabole, from Zora Neale Hurston’s novel Their Eyes Were Watching God :

Hurston’s novel frequently dwells on the themes of gender and society, and this quote sums up the novel’s attitude nicely. At a time when women were viewed as subservient to their husbands, Hurston is saying that women are fully in control of their fate, feelings, and thoughts, defying the typical gender roles of that era. The antimetabole of “forget” and “remember” reinforces that sense of control.

5. Antistrophe—Successive Repetition at the Ends of Lines or Clauses

Antistrophe—also known as epistrophe or epiphora—is the successive repetition of a word or phrase at the end of lines or clauses. Like anaphora, the effect of antistrophe is the emphasis of a recurring idea.

You’ll find an example of antistrophe in the short poem “We Real Cool” by Gwendolyn Brooks:

The word “We” starts each sentence, but ends each line—except the last line. This repetition emphasizes two things. First, it shows the reader the speaker’s lack of identity: he can only identify as a weak “we,” and that “we” centers itself around youthful rebellion.

Second, it highlights the poet’s attitude towards the boys. There is no “we” after the phrase “die soon,” which underscores the poem’s finality and the poet’s belief that the boys will ruin their own lives.

6. Chiasmus—Phrases or Sentences Repeated in Reverse Order

Chiasmus, like antimetabole, is the repetition of a phrase in reverse order. By inverting a phrase, the writer juxtaposes different or opposite meanings.

Unlike antimetabole, a chiasmus does not have to invert a phrase grammatically. The two clauses can have different lengths and structures. As such, antimetabole is often viewed as a stricter form of chiasmus.

Let’s look at an example of each, side-by-side. The following, from Shakespeare’s Macbeth , is an example of both chiasmus and antimetabole, because each inverted clause preserves the same grammatical structure:

Now, this next quote, from Aeschylus, is an example of chiasmus, but not of antimetabole, because each inverted clause has a different grammatical structure:

To summarize: a chiasmus is also an antimetabole, but not every antimetabole is a chiasmus.

7. Epanalepsis—Repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning and end of a clause or sentence

Epanalepsis refers to repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning and end of a line, clause, or sentence. This is a feature of some other types of repetition—chiasmus and antimetabole, in particular, will often feature an epanalepsis.

This repetition device is just as useful for poets and storytellers as it is for rhetoricians. Here are a few examples:

“Beloved is mine; she is Beloved.” — Beloved by Toni Morrison

“Possessed by what we now no more possessed.” —” The Gift Outright ” by Robert Frost

“Nothing can be created out of nothing.” —Lucretius

“Music I heard with you was more than music. And bread I broke with you was more than bread.” —“ Bread and Music ” by Conrad Aiken

“Mankind must put an end to war or war will put an end to mankind.” —John F. Kennedy

The most obvious reason for using epanalepsis is emphasis on an important concept or keyword. That said, pay attention to how this repetition device adds a sense of rhythm and musicality to language. Something about the echoing of important words adds movement and tension to the sentence, making it moving and evocative.

8. Epimone—Repetition for the Purpose of Dwelling

Epimone, a device most often used in dialogue , occurs when the speaker repeats themselves for the purpose of dwelling on a point. This repetition doesn’t contribute anything new to the speaker’s argument, but it often shows us how the speaker truly feels.

Here’s an example from Romeo & Juliet :

In addition to several epizeuxis examples (defined below), this quote has several examples of epimone. The repeating “woeful,” “O day,” and “O woeful day” phrases don’t contribute anything new to what the nurse is saying, but it does underscore how terrible the day is for her.

Epimone is best used as an element in dialogue to humanize characters. In real life, people repeat themselves for emphasis, and using epimone reflects this human tendency.

9. Epizeuxis—Words Repeated in Quick Succession

Epizeuxis, also known as diacope, is the repetition of words in quick succession.

There are countless examples of epizeuxis in the poem “ The Bells ” by Edgar Allan Poe. Each stanza ends with some variation of the following:

Here, the immediate repetition of “bells” is an epizeuxis. Try to read this stanza as though each iteration of “bells” was a bell jingling: the stanza becomes vibrant, exciting, and perhaps even overwhelming, as it is both figuratively and literally consumed by the bells.

10. Polyptoton—The Inclusion of Multiple Words with the Same Root

Polyptoton is the use of two or more words that, though different, share the same root. The words “bare & barely” have the same root; so do the word pairs “battle & embattled” and “lunar & lunatic.”

Polyptoton was a common facet of Latin and Greek poetry, since one word has hundreds of forms in each language. However, modern literature has examples of polyptoton, too. Take this excerpt from T. S. Eliot’s poem “The Dry Salvages”:

There are four examples of polyptoton here: “wither & withering”, “pain & painless”, “drift & drifting”, and “prayer, prayable, & Prayer.”

What is the effect of repetition with polyptoton? By using different forms of the same word, the writer can suggest an evolving relationship between those words. The flowers, withered, are still withering; the sea, which drifts, brings drifting wreckage. Polyptoton adds dimension to the meanings of words, providing contrast and emphasis to what those words signify.

11. Symploce—Repetition at Both the Beginnings and Ends of Clauses

Symploce occurs when a writer uses both anaphora and antistrophe at the same time. By using symploce, the writer highlights nuances of meaning and the differences between the two repeating phrases.

Because symploce happens at both the beginning and end of a line or sentence, it most often occurs as repetition in poetry. Here’s an example of a love poem , “Sonnet 62” by Bartholomew Griffin, that has symploce in each line:

“Sonnet 62” uses an anaphora with “most true” and an antistrophe with “love.” Each line slightly alters the relationship between truth and love, presenting a series of juxtapositions and paradoxes that complicates the speaker’s relationship to Fidessa. By writing this sonnet as a perfect symploce, Griffin is able to capture that complexity and his evolving relationship to love itself.

Repetition in literature offers a variety of powerful rhetorical strategies . In the above repetition examples, we’ve seen this device do the following:

• Emphasize key themes and ideas
• Underscore the relationship between ideas
• Emulate sounds and experiences
• Invert ideas for emphasis
• Juxtapose ideas to challenge the reader
• Reveal or enhance the author’s writing style
• Play with multiple meanings and ambiguities
• Situate an important setting in the text, both figuratively and literally
• Suggest a character’s interiority

Repetition in literature can do all of the above, and much more. What makes repetition in poetry and prose so powerful is that it emphasizes other devices and ideas in the text.

Since the main effect of repetition is emphasis, writers should harness the repetition of words to underscore what their work is trying to accomplish. By skillfully repeating words and phrases, writers can clue the reader towards what they’re trying to say in their work, using the tools of rhetoric in artistic and literary ways.

Repetition is a powerful literary device that can highlight important ideas, flesh out those ideas, and make your writing more musical and interesting. When mishandled, it can also lessen the quality of your work.

How is that so? Repetition that isn’t done intentionally and artistically can end up being annoying or redundant. Typically, this happens when the writer is saying the exact same thing over and over. It can also happen when the writer doesn’t trust the reader, so they restate the same idea, trying to hammer in something that the reader already understands.

Much of this comes down to being confident in your work and being objective about your goals with your writing.

Here’s a quote from The Great Gatsby that uses repetition artfully:

He smiled understandingly—much more than understandingly. It was one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it, that you may come across four or five times in life. It faced—or seemed to face—the whole eternal world for an instant, and then concentrated on you with an irresistible prejudice in your favor. It understood you just as far as you wanted to be understood, believed in you as you would like to believe in yourself, and assured you that it had precisely the impression of you that, at your best, you hoped to convey.

The words “understood,” “understand,” and “understandingly” are repeated just the right number of times. They’re scattered throughout the text in an intentional way, and each time the word is used, it’s used with a slightly different meaning. Each repetition adds to the meaning the paragraph tries to convey, and it does so inside of the voice of Nick Carraway, the narrator. Here, repetition is intentional, thoughtful, and mindful of character.

Here’s an example of repetition gone wrong. I’ve amended the above passage to have needless repetition:

He smiled understandingly—much more than understandingly. It was one of those rare understanding smiles with a quality of eternal understanding reassurance in it, that you may come across four or five times in life. It faced—or seemed to face—the whole eternal world for an instant, and then concentrated on you with an irresistible understanding prejudice in your favor. It understood you just as far as you wanted to be understood, believed in you as you would like to believe in yourself, and assured you that it understood , that it had precisely the impression of you that, at your best, you hoped to convey.

The additional uses of the word “understand” don’t contribute anything unique or essential. Moreover, they dampen the effects of the other words, and you start to get annoyed with the word every time it’s used. Don’t over repeat, and again, trust your audience.

Wield Repetition at Writers.com

Repetition is a powerful literary device , but if you have too many repeating words and phrases, your work can lose its impact. Writers.com can help! Become a part of our community: Take a look at our upcoming courses or join our Facebook group , and receive caring feedback on your work and use of repetition.

Sean Glatch

[…] Repetition Definition: Types of Repetition in Poetry and Prose […]

Fascinating piece.

For an understanding of ancient Greek words and how they are derived, check out Greek Alphabet: Unlock the Secrets by Julia DeVonne—an explanation of the symbolic meaning of Greek letters and how they are combined to form words. (Available on Amazon.com)

Wonderfully explained.

Amazing using this information in my next writing. Thank you

There seems to be a name for everything. Is there a definition for the rhyme in the final line below?

Who did this terrible thing? Who put a thumb in the pie? A voice in the corner Came from one Jack Horner T’was I. T’was I. T’was I

[…] and movement between lines, employ caesura to create pauses and emphasis, and experiment with repetition, parallelism, and other rhetorical devices to enhance the structure and impact of your […]

Such a useful and interesting reference – used in my A Level English Literature class. Thanks for posting.

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What are the tricks to avoid repetition in writing?

After some time of working on my research, I usually have a structured information of my results, which I can best describe in bullets/numbers. Unfortunately, this is not what academia expects. For example, I concluded my paper introduction with this paragraph:

We start by discussing the most relevant research papers. Then we discuss the composition rules we have selected and how to evaluate them. Then we discuss the optimisation method we use and camera search spaces. Finally, we discuss an example of rendering a well known film in our system and discuss the results.

If you carefully read my concluding paragraph, you will notice that it mentions six parts (research papers, composition rules, how to evaluate them, optimisation method, camera search spaces, an example). I found it hard to combine all these information (which is not uncommon in papers' introductions) in one paragraph, and I ended up repeating "then" twice, which reads very boring - at least for me.

What are the methods to avoid repetitions in general? What about my specific example?

• academic-writing

• 1 What's wrong with bullets here? –  John Smithers Commented Feb 7, 2011 at 15:39
• 1 The problem with bullets is that it is too structured, and for some reasons it seems that readers don't like that! That's not my personal opinion, though, it is what I hear from many frequently. Personally, whenever I read a book, I get attracted to bullets and numberings, because I feel they are giving the important bit of information in the section. –  Promather Commented Feb 7, 2011 at 16:07

8 Answers 8

From Strunk & White's Elements of Style:

Express co-ordinate ideas in similar form. This principle, that of parallel construction, requires that expressions of similar content and function should be outwardly similar. The likeness of form enables the reader to recognize more readily the likeness of content and function. Familiar instances from the Bible are the Ten Commandments, the Beatitudes, and the petitions of the Lord's Prayer.

Do not think that varying simple expressions makes a better writer. It can and will distract the reader. In your case, I would suggest making the list even more uniform:

We first discuss the most relevant research papers. We next discuss our selected composition rules and how to evaluation them. We then discuss our optimisation method and camera search spaces. We finally discuss the results of rendering a well-known film in our system.

Note the repetition:

• We first discuss...
• We next discuss...
• We then discuss...
• We finally discuss...

These phrases become almost transparent for the reader, putting the focus on what's being discussed.

• Good comment about repetition. –  Promather Commented Feb 7, 2011 at 16:05
• Great point: "Do not think that varying simple expressions makes a better writer." Clear sign of a less-experienced writer. –  gmoore Commented Feb 15, 2011 at 14:00
• 1 While your answer has good information, it does not address the OP's question "...tricks to avoid repetition in writing". –  BoltBait Commented Feb 20, 2011 at 21:51

I find the repetitive use of the same verb in a paragraph to be jarring.

Some of the responses seem to suggest that to say anything other than discuss might confuse the audience into thinking that some topics will be discussed while others are simply mentioned.

My take on this paragraph would be to establish the discussion at the beginning, and then use terms of direction to show how the discussion will progress through each topic.

We will begin our discussion with the most relevant research papers. We then turn to our selected composition rules and how to evaluate them. Continuing forward is our optimization method and camera search spaces. We conclude with the results of rendering a well-known film into our system.

This is perhaps an extreme example, it would probably be okay to mention 'discuss' in the third or fourth sentence as a way to remind the audience that this is a continual discussion of all topics listed.

The problem I have with the OP's example is that each point/bullet gets its own same-structured sentence. It's this repetitious structure that's to blame.

So why not just make it one sentence?

We'll discuss the most relevant research papers, the composition rules and our criteria for selecting them, our optimization method and camera search spaces, and finally, we'll provide an example using our system and consider the results.

This establishes the road map and it's less wordy.

After introducing the most relevant research papers we will look at the composition rules we have selected and how to evaluate them. Then we discuss the optimisation method we use and camera search spaces. Finally, we demonstrate the rendering of a well known film in our system by an example and discuss the results.

Synonyms are your friend. Not only "then" is your problem, you "discuss" a lot of things.

• Thanks for your note! I didn't the frequent use of "discuss". –  Promather Commented Feb 7, 2011 at 16:03
• 1 I vociferously disagree here. If you mean the exact same thing, you should use the exact same word. John's changes suggest that the handling of composition rules is to be different from the handling of optimization (which is not, I take it, the truth). I'm up for bullets. –  Michael Lorton Commented Feb 7, 2011 at 22:50

One way to reduce the "discuss" duplication is to ask yourself: What are we trying to accomplish by discussing this? What effect are we trying to have on the reader?

Then, rather than looking for synonyms, look for words that more precisely express what you're trying to do.

Why discuss the optimization method? So that people understand it. You're explaining. So say "explain."

Why discuss an example of rendering a film? So that people can see how the optimization works in practice. You're demonstrating. So say "demonstrate."

I'm not as sure about your reasons for discussing other things. Why discuss other research papers? Why discuss composition rules? Why discuss the results of rendering the well known film?

But if you clarify what effect you are trying to create in the reader, you can likely find words that are more precise and energetic, while still fitting the tone of a scholarly paper.

Here is my rewording:

We start by discussing the most relevant research papers. Then, we talk about the composition rules we have selected and how to evaluate them. Next, we consider the optimization method we use and camera search spaces. Finally, we review an example of rendering a well known film in our system and talk about the results.

You wanted a trick, well here's mine:

I use Microsoft Word as my editor. When I right click on a word, such as 'discuss', I can choose synonyms from a popup list. Sometimes it is necessary to do this several times to find a good word.

• +1 point for Microsoft Word hint, though I don't usually use MSWord, as I moved to Linux. –  Promather Commented Feb 17, 2011 at 20:32

It's useful to write as if speaking, then restructure for formality. That will give you the necessary verbosity.

In your particular case, it seems thinking about the points you want to make as different things makes you try to express them as individual sentences; if you mention a link between them or make a link clear, it helps.

Last, but not least, you can use different expressions with the same meaning.

You could have written, instead:

"We start by discussing the most relevant research papers, afterward discussing the composition rules we have selected and how to evaluate them. Once that's done, we discuss the optimization method we use and camera search spaces. Finally, we discuss an example of rendering a well known film in our system and discuss the results."

Here is my transformation:

We start by discussing the most relevant research papers. Then we talk the composition rules we have selected and how to evaluate them. Then we present the optimisation method we use and camera search spaces. Finally, we discuss an example of rendering a well-known film in our system and discuss the results.

The application Grammarly is my helper. It finds even the most profound mistakes in your writings - such as "Incorrect adverb placement", "Unusual word pair", "Sentence fragment" and much more. You can also get a list of synonyms for any word by double-clicking it. If you have the browser extension installed, you will be able to use its real-time error detection on any website. Besides, by double-clicking on any word on any site a pop-up with the word's possible definitions will appear.

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated in any way with the company.

How to avoid repetitions?

Tips and advise.

Make a list of the words you're concerned about. After you finish the first draft, search for each word. Make a conscious decision what to do about it (delete the word, leave the sentence alone, rewrite the sentence to make the word unnecessary). Make notes about how you decide which to retain, which to remove, and which to revise.

On the other hand, you can replace overused words and phrases with synonyms or equivalents. However, always be confident that you use words and phrases you know yourself - if you are finding synonyms on the internet, then make sure to use the ones you already know. Readers may decide you are not the original author if you don't follow your usual style of writing.

Five of the most frequently overused words I see when editing manuscripts are: so, still, though, very, and well. If you find yourself using these words more than once per page, search for them and ask: Do I really need this word here, or is it just taking space? If the answer is space - erase.

Use linking words, such as "additionally", "in addition", "furthermore", "moreover" and etc. Those will help you link your sentences one to each other and form a strong "chain" - a good text.

• I have started to use the free version of grammarly to see what it's all about and I must say I am not all that impressed. Most of their changes are style, phrasing changes they want me to do (I have commas purposely for pause effect where it may not otherwise belong in a formal paper) and it keeps yelling at me about the commas. Other than that it hasn't really identified much. –  ggiaquin16 Commented Nov 9, 2017 at 17:41
• That's why it's free version. On the premium version, this is marked as "advanced issue". You can cull what changes they do on your writings, utilising the app settings. And if you believe that the error it has detected is not authentically an error, you can always click "ignore". @ggiaquin –  Mona Lisa Commented Nov 10, 2017 at 9:36

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What Is Repetition in a Story: Definition and Examples of Repetition in Literature

by Fija Callaghan

Repetition as a literary device is present in almost every kind of writing, be it a novel, short story, poem, or essay that we’ve come to know and love. When it’s used effectively, we often don’t even realize it’s there. Repetition can be present in words, phrases, sounds, images, or themes. It’s what gives stories a sense of unity and persuades the reader of their message.

But hang on—isn’t repetitive writing a bad thing? Don’t we want our stories to be fresh and new all the time?

Poorly used repetition can absolutely drag down a piece of writing, while repetition used with intention and precision can elevate it to the next level. Let’s look at the repetition definition with some helpful examples, and how repetition works in a story to make it more powerful, memorable, and evocative. By the end of this article, you’ll have learned how to use repetition in a story like a pro.

What is repetition in writing?

In literary terms, repetition refers to a recurring element in a piece of writing . At the line level this might be a sound, word, or phrase; at the broader story level this might be an image, setting, or idea.

We see repetition used all the time in both poetry and classic literature, as well as famous speeches and persuasive arguments in politics. This is because repetition helps drive an idea into the reader or the listener’s mind. For example, this famous line from a speech by Bill Clinton in 1995:

“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.”

He uses repeated words like “talk,” “us,” and “stand” to encourage solidarity and courage in his listeners. The specific type of repetition he’s used here is called “symploce.” We’ll look at some more types of repetition you can use in a story later on in this article.

One of the other kinds of writing that repetition is most recognizable in is classic fairy tales. You’ll notice that there are always three wishes, three goats crossing the troll bridge, three chances to prove yourself to the fairy in disguise. These stories stay with us forever because of their use of repetition.

Why use repetition in a story?

In literature, repetition works to add emphasis to key ideas. In narration, this can help underline your central themes or enhance the mood of a story. In dialogue, repetition can reveal a lot about character.

For example, the famous children’s book series Madeline always opens with the same several lines:

In an old house in Paris that was covered with vines lived twelve little girls in two straight lines. In two straight lines they broke their bread and brushed their teeth and went to bed.

The repeating words help emphasize the sense of order, discipline, and routine. Here the repetition also works to create rhythm and make the words easier for children to remember.

In dialogue, a character’s word choice can reveal their strengths, weaknesses, or the way they want to be perceived by the world around them. For example, stuttering is an example of unintentional repetition of words or sounds that can help define a character’s distinctive voice . A character might also repeatedly apologize when they’re uncertain, or repeatedly use certain words to sound more intellectual or sophisticated.

A famous example of a character’s repeated word choice is in the film The Princess Bride , in which one of the central villains (played by the iconic Wallace Shawn), repeatedly uses the word “inconceivable.” It becomes a trademark of his character and shows us how he wants to project himself to the world.

We’ll show you some more repetition examples in literature below.

Line-level repetition vs. structural repetition

Repetition can happen in a story in two different ways. Line-level repetition is when the same word, sound, or phrase is used to create emphatic effect. Structural repetition is when the same image, symbol, or literary device is repeated throughout the story to highlight its underlying themes.

We’ll look at a few ways to use line-level repetition through recurring words, vowel sounds, or consonant sounds, and how to use repetition on a broader scale to give depth to your story.

Anaphora, epistrophe, and epizeuxis

These three literary devices refer to ways the same words or successive clauses can be used in a piece of writing.

Anaphora is a literary device that uses repeated words or phrases at the beginning of a string of successive sentences . This means that each sentence will begin with the same word or phrase, creating a rhythmic effect and putting emphasis on a central idea.

A good example is the satirical poem “Litany,” by American poet Billy Collins:

You are the bread and the knife, the crystal goblet and the wine. You are the dew on the morning grass and the burning wheel of the sun. You are the white apron of the baker, and the marsh birds suddenly in flight.

Three sentences in a row begin with “you are,” which sets a comfortable rhythm for the poem and shows the reader what the poem is going to be about.

Epistrophe is the opposite of anaphora. Instead of repeating sections at the beginning of a sentence, you repeat sections of two or more words at the very end . Here’s an example from a play by William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice :

If you had known the virtue of the ring, Or half her worthiness that gave the ring, Or your own honour to contain the ring, You would not then have parted with the ring.

In this example of repetition, the speaker lands each sentence on “the ring,” putting emphasis on the importance of this pivotal plot device.

When anaphora and epistrophe are both used in the same sentence, it’s called symploce . Bill Clinton’s speech, which we looked at above, is an example of symploce.

Epizeuxis works like anaphora and epistrophe, but instead of clauses or phrases, it’s only one single word that’s repeated . This might be something like a character saying, “I would never lie to you. Never, never, never.” The repetition of the word “never” illustrates the importance of this concept to the character and how much they strive to get the idea across.

The most famous example of epizeuxis in literature is Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Bells,” where he uses repetition of a word to create a bell-like rhythm within the poem:

Yet the ear distinctly tells,     In the jangling,     And the wrangling.   How the danger sinks and swells, By the sinking or the swelling in the anger of the bells—     Of the bells—   Of the bells, bells, bells, bells,     Bells, bells, bells— In the clamor and the clangor of the bells!

Here, the repetition works for both emphasis and the sound we hear in our ears as we read it.

Alliteration, assonance, and consonance

These three literary devices take an even closer look at sentence mechanics. They refer to ways a repeating vowel sound or consonant sound can be used to create rhythm in a story or poem.

Alliteration

Alliteration means beginning a series of words or short phrases with the same initial letter or sound. Many of our classic children’s nursery rhymes rely on alliteration: “She sells seashells by the sea shore” uses a mixed alliteration of S sounds and Sh sounds. You’ll notice that alliteration is also popular in marketing; for instance, “Coca-Cola” or “Bed, Bath, and Beyond.” This is because alliteration makes things stick in our ear.

Here’s a literary example of alliteration from The Great Gatsby :

So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.

The same opening sounds over and over give the line a poetic quality and makes it stand out to the ear.

Assonance means using repeated vowel sounds . This can be anywhere within the line, and it gives the piece a sense of unity to the ear. Note that like alliteration, assonance refers to the sound and not necessarily the letter . For instance, “a peaceful sleep beneath a tree” contains repeating E sounds, even though they’re not all spelled the same way.

Here’s an example from Sylvia Plath’s poem, “The Disquieting Muses”:

When on tiptoe the schoolgirls danced, Blinking flashlights like fireflies

In the first half she uses soft I sounds in “girls” and “blinking,” and then hard I sounds in “lights” and “fireflies.”

Consonance is the opposite of assonance; both refer to repetition of sounds, but this is the repetition of consonant sounds rather than vowels. Like assonance, consonance refers strictly to the sound in the ear rather than the letters in the eye.

Irish poet Seamus Heaney uses consonance in his poem “Blackberry Picking”:

The fruit fermented, the sweet flesh would turn sour. I always felt like crying. It wasn’t fair

He uses a repeating F consonant sound and hard T consonant sound that give the poem a sharp quality which matches the story being told. You can use these repeated vowels and consonants to emulate the mood of the piece.

You don’t need to memorize each of these literary devices to use them effectively in your story (although if you manage to causally drop “epizeuxis” into a sentence, your friends will be super impressed), but this gives you an idea of what mindful repetition is capable of and how you can use it in your work.

Thematic repetition

Repetition can be marvelously effective in creating powerful sentences and paragraphs. Another use for them is on a larger scale by repeating certain images or ideas within your story. When writers use a symbol multiple times throughout a narrative, it’s called a motif .

Other ways to use thematic repetition may be to include the same setting multiple times. For instance, the book Ladies’ Night at Finbar’s Hotel is a collection of short interlocking stories all set at the same hotel, but from different perspectives. You can explore ways to refer back to the same place several times throughout your story, giving it a deeper meaning for the reader each time.

Another great use for thematic repetition is if you’re trying to find a way to end your story . You can use repeating elements to bring it together and give it a sense of completion.

For instance, if your story opened with your main character coming back to their childhood home, you may choose to end your story by showing them walking away from it forever. The image from your story is now inverted to create a different meaning. Alternatively, you could show them returning to their childhood home after a short walk and deciding to stay there forever. This gives a repeating image from your story new depth.

Any time you want to enhance the emotion of your story, look for ways you can repeat images or ideas in new, powerful ways.

Effective examples of repetition in literature

As you can see, all these different types of repetition are tricks that writers can use to engage readers, create rhythm, and support the theme of your story. Let’s look at some repetition examples of how a few writers have used these techniques in their literary work, both in poetry and prose.

The Song of Hiawatha , by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Should you ask me, whence these stories? Whence these legends and traditions, With the odors of the forest With the dew and damp of meadows, With the curling smoke of wigwams, With the rushing of great rivers, With their frequent repetitions, And their wild reverberations As of thunder in the mountains? I should answer, I should tell you, “From the forests and the prairies, From the great lakes of the Northland, From the land of the Ojibways, From the land of the Dacotahs, From the mountains, moors, and fen-lands Where the heron, the Shuh-shuh-gah, Feeds among the reeds and rushes.”

Longfellow’s Indiginous-inspired epic uses repetition to imitate the sound of a story sung around a campfire. In this opening stanza, he explains that he heard the tale he’s about to tell from tribes living in the woods and mountains. You can see how repetition is used by reading the full poem online here .

Art Matters , by Neil Gaiman

Life is sometimes hard. Things go wrong, in life and in love and in business and in friendship and in health and in all the other ways that life can go wrong. And when things get tough, this is what you should do… Make good art. I’m serious. Husband runs off with a politician? Make good art. Leg crushed and then eaten by a mutated boa constrictor? Make good art. IRS on your trail? Make good art. Cat exploded? Make good art. Somebody on the internet thinks what you do is stupid or evil or it’s all been done before? Make good art. Probably things will work out somehow, and eventually time will take the sting away, but that doesn’t matter. Do what only you do best. Make good art. Make it on the good days too.

Neil Gaiman’s memoir/self-help book/artistic manifesto champions the act of creating art even in the darkest of times. Writing “Make good art” over and over shows the reader that no matter what traumatic and potentially ridiculous challenges life throws at you, this is what truly matters. The repetitive question-and-answer format underlines the thematic idea that creation will always be the answer.

Fresh Water For Flowers , by Valérie Perrin

But he could be written to, his mail was being forwarded. What could I write to him? Julien, I’m crazy, I’m alone, I’m impossible, You believed me, and I did everything I could so you would. Julien, I was so happy in your car. Julien, I was so happy with you on my sofa. Julien, I was so happy with you in my bed. Julien, You are young. But I don’t think we care.

Valérie Perrin’s experimental novel uses repetition in creative ways to take us into the mind of the central character as she works to uncover her feelings. In this section, she repeats the name to create almost a pounding effect in her head; other re-used phrases, such as “I was so happy,” reveal the protagonist’s blooming new understanding.

Use repetition to create rhythm in your story

Language is pretty fascinating, and there’s a whole range of tools that you can use to enhance your story. With artful repetition you can persuade your reader of arguments or ideas, as well as create a feeling of coherence and unity from beginning to end.

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Related articles

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What is a Motif? Definition and Examples

Literary Devices List: 33 Main Literary Devices with Examples

What is Rhythm in Literature? Definition and Examples

What is a Metaphor? Definition, Examples & Types of Metaphors

What Is Juxtaposition? Definition and Examples from Literature

• Literary Terms

When & How to Use Repetition

• Definition & Examples
• When & How to Use Repetition

How to use Repetition

Repetition is a simple and fairly easy device to use in writing. In fact, all you have to do is:

• Choose words that you think are important and worth stressing
• Repeat those words in a way that is memorable. Doing so helps makes them stick out in your audience’s mind and establishes them as meaningful.
• Not overuse it, or it will loose its effect—just use repetition at points when it will have the most impact.

The important thing is that you use repetition in a smart way that adds emphasis to particular ideas. That emphasis can make the tone more convincing, more emotional, more dramatic, etc. Furthermore, repetition can create rhythm that makes a work’s style appealing, which is then more attractive to the audience.

It’s also important to note how not to use repetition—in other words, lazily reusing the same words over and over. For instance, take the following sentence:

She raced to the front door. She opened it, but no one was there. She raced back up the stairs to finish putting on her makeup. When she was done, she raced to the front door again and left.

This is an example of poor use of repetition—the word “raced” is repeated, but it doesn’t strengthen the sentences, rather, it sounds like the author didn’t have better word choices.

When to use Repetition

Authors use repetition a lot, in both literature and speech—it’s a great technique that any writer can use. As a standard, you should repeat a word when you want certain parts of your writing to stand out or be very clear. Repetition is common in fiction and nonfiction writing, creative writing, persuasive writing, formal or informal writing—as mentioned, it is found across all genres , styles, and forms of literature. It is also an excellent device to use when delivering a speech, whose success relies on the audience’s feelings about the speaker’s words.

List of Terms

• Alliteration
• Amplification
• Anachronism
• Anthropomorphism
• Antonomasia
• APA Citation
• Aposiopesis
• Autobiography
• Bildungsroman
• Characterization
• Circumlocution
• Cliffhanger
• Comic Relief
• Connotation
• Deus ex machina
• Deuteragonist
• Doppelganger
• Double Entendre
• Dramatic irony
• Equivocation
• Extended Metaphor
• Figures of Speech
• Flash-forward
• Foreshadowing
• Intertextuality
• Juxtaposition
• Literary Device
• Malapropism
• Onomatopoeia
• Parallelism
• Pathetic Fallacy
• Personification
• Point of View
• Polysyndeton
• Protagonist
• Red Herring
• Rhetorical Device
• Rhetorical Question
• Science Fiction
• Self-Fulfilling Prophecy
• Synesthesia
• Turning Point
• Understatement
• Urban Legend
• Verisimilitude
• Essay Guide
• Cite This Website

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How to Use ProWritingAid's All Repeats Report

The ProWritingAid Team

Ever get sick of a character who does the same thing over and over again, like frowning, smiling, grimacing, etc? Your readers will too. Keep your readers immersed in your story by making sure you don't have too many repeated phrases in your manuscript.

ProWritingAid will identify your most frequent phrases so you can check that you are not overdoing the same actions or descriptions.

ProWritingAid's All Repeats Report

How to set up the all repeats report, how to navigate the report, all repeats report suggestions, why is the all repeats report useful, final thoughts, start editing like a pro with your free prowritingaid account.

Eliminating duplicated words and phrases is one of the best ways to improve your writing. We often repeat things without noticing and it's notoriously difficult to spot repetitions yourself. Your brain just doesn't register them. You're better off getting get someone else to read your writing for you and notice any repeated words or phrases, or use a computer program (a machine will never overlook a repetition).

You can tailor the Repeats Report to your own writing in your ProWritingAid App Settings . Find these by going to your account on the ProWritingAid website.

Once there, you'll be able to adjust your Repeats settings:

With this tool, you decide what a 'repeat' is. It's inevitable that words will be repeated in a manuscript or document. However, if a word is repeated unintentionally several times in the span of a page, it can set off an echo in your reader's mind. This will distract them from what you are trying to say, instead leaving them to look back to find where they've seen that phrase before.

These settings allow you to set the maximum number of characters between repeated words and phrases. If you set this to 300, then repeated words that are more than 300 characters apart won't be flagged.

If you're looking to see how many times you've repeated a keyword throughout an article and your article is 1500 words, you'll set your maximum characters to around 7000-8000 to make sure that all repeats are flagged.

If you're writing fiction, you might set your maximum to 500 characters to catch repeats within a few paragraphs.

ProWritingAid's All Repeats Report will highlight all of your repeated phrases and list them for you in a handy toolbar.

Clicking on the arrow highlighted above will show or hide the list of repeated phrases.

These phrases are also highlighted in your document. You can manipulate the highlights using the navigation menu. When you expand a list of repeats, you'll see this menu:

If you click on the Eye symbol, the highlights for that repeats category (e.g. Repeated 2 Word Phrases) will be hidden. Just click the Eye again to make the highlights reappear.

To jump to the first highlighted repeat in a category, click on the down arrow to the right of the menu. This will take you to the first highlight. From there, you can use the arrows to jump between highlights.

This also works for each individual repeated word. Hovering over that word in the list to the left of your screen will bring up a similar menu which you can use to hide and jump between highlights for that individual word.

For some words, ProWritingAid will suggest a list of contextually relevant synonyms for a repeated word.

You can use these to add variety to your writing quickly. You can replace a repeated word in your text with a suggestion by clicking on your chosen synonym. To leave a word as is or add your own synonym, hit 'Ignore'.

Let's look at some ways you can use the All Repeats Report to make a difference to your writing.

For Bloggers and Content Writers

When you're creating online content, you'll often need to think about SEO terms, buzz words for a topic and keeping your readers as engaged as possible.

The goal may not always be reducing repeats for content writers. If you are writing a blog, then this report is useful for seeing how often you have repeated your keywords in an article.

Underusing your keywords will mean that your article fails to rank among other content on your topic. However, beware using your keyword too many times in an article. A good rule of thumb is around five mentions of your specific, content focussed keyword on a page. If you stuff your article with keywords, search engines won't let it rank.

If the All Repeats Report tells you that you've used your keyword or phrase 38 times, you might need to do a little more research on your topic to find another relevant keyword to use instead. While the All Repeats Report can't find these for you, it will highlight where you might need to rethink your terms.

For Students

It's a great feeling when you finally manage to get into the flow of writing your essay. Part of gaining that flow is getting your ideas down while they're at the top of your mind, and this can lead to you leaning on certain phrases to get your points across. But using the same words or phrases repeatedly will distract your instructor and make them question your writing style.

Phrases like 'this shows that', 'this suggests that' and 'on the other hand' can sneak into your essay without you realising. When you're proofreading , you might not even realise how much you've used them because you're focussing on the ideas themselves.

Use ProWritingAid to highlight these empty phrases to make sure you're making the most of your word count.

For Writers

When you're reading a novel, a character's habit of smirking after they say something can be one of their quirks... or one of their most annoying traits. Noticing those repeats will pull your reader out of your story. Replace repeated words with synonyms, or rework your sentences to present the same idea in a different way.

Getting to know your repeated words and phrases can help you work out where you can make your writing stronger. The All Repeats Report is an extra pair of eyes that will pick out repeated words when you've stopped noticing them.

When a reader sees a grammar error, they start to lose faith in the writer who made it.

ProWritingAid is one of the best grammar checkers out there - but it's far more than that! The Editing Tool also looks at elements of structure and style that have an impact on how strong and readable your writing is.

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The best way to find out how much ProWritingAid can do is to try it yourself!

Be confident about grammar Check every email, essay, or story for grammar mistakes. Fix them before you press send. The most successful people in the world have coaches. Whatever your level of writing, ProWritingAid will help you achieve new heights. Exceptional writing depends on much more than just correct grammar. You need an editing tool that also highlights style issues and compares your writing to the best writers in your genre. ProWritingAid helps you find the best way to express your ideas. Get started with ProWritingAid Drop us a line or let's stay in touch via : Scriptwriting What is Repetition — Definition and Examples for Writers Point of View Protagonist Deus ex Machina Foreshadowing Iambic Pentameter Juxtaposition Personification Red Herring Alliteration Connotation Onomatopoeia Write Your Script For Free L iterary devices aim to utilize words to communicate more efficiently and more effectively to readers and audiences. In this article, we’ll be taking a look at a literary device that aims to do just that simply by using the same word or phrase again and again. This is of course repetition.  Repetition may seem straightforward, but there are various types of repetition that are defined by how and where words or phrases are repeated. So, what is repetition actually used for? Let’s take a look at those types of repetition and how iconic writers have used them throughout history.  what is repetition? First, let’s define repetition. Although there are various types of repetition, they all fall under the same definition. Let’s take a look at the repetition definition to better identify when it is being used.  REPETITION DEFINITION What is repetition. Repetition is a literary device in which a word or phrase is used multiple times. Repetition can be found throughout literature. Most commonly, it is found in poetry and speeches to create rhythm or emphasize a word or phrase. There are various types of repetition defined by where and how words and phrases are repeated in a body of text.  Famous Repetition Examples in Cinema: “You talkin’ to me? You talkin’ to me?” - Taxi Driver (1976) “Wax on. Wax off.” - Karate Kid (1984) “You don’t understand! I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender. I could’ve been somebody, instead of a bum, which is what I am.” - On the Waterfront (1954) Repetition meaning Function of repetition. Repetition can be found throughout written literature and throughout verbal speeches. Why is it so common? Repetition is primarily effective at two things: emphasis and rhythm. 1. Emphasis Simply repeating a phrase or word is an effective way at emphasizing specific ideas to a reader or audience. If a word or phrase appears only once, a reader may overlook it. When it is repeated, the word or phrase (and, by extension, the idea being communicated) registers more directly in the reader’s mind.  Repetition can also create rhythm in text both written and spoken language. This is especially effective at engaging audiences when used in oral speeches. Speeches can become mundane if they become simply read. Repetition can create rhythm and musicality to a speech that more deeply engages audiences.  Related Posts A Complete Guide to Literary Devices → What is Alliteration? Definition and Examples → How Writers Use Anaphora in Speeches & Dialogue → Repetition examples Types of repetition. There are various types of repetition that are defined by structure and form. While all repetition has similar effects that we touched on above, different types of repetition can have different impacts. 1. Anaphora Anaphora is the repetition of a word or group of words at the beginning of successive clauses or sentences.  "What is Anaphora?"  •  A Literary Guide for English Students and Teachers In the historical novel A Tale of Two Cities , Charles Dickens utilizes anaphora to create a memorable opening paragraph.  “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.” 2. Epistrophe Similar to anaphora is epistrophe . Epistrophe is the repetition of a word or group of words at the end of successive clauses or sentences.  In her song “Single Ladies” Beyonce uses epistrophe in the chorus of the song.  “‘Cause if you liked it then you should have put a ring on it If you liked it then you should’ve put a ring on it Don’t be mad once you see that he want it If you liked it then you should’ve put a ring ” 3. Symploce Symploce is the use of both anaphora and epistrophe. Bill Clinton famously used symploce in  his speech at the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum. “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.” 4. Mesodiplosis The repetition of a word in the middle of a phrase or clause is known as mesodiplosis. An example of mesodiplosis can be found in the bible. “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.” 5. Epizeuxis One of the most simple types of repetition is epizeuxis. Epizeuxis is the repetition of a single word in sequence. An example of this can be found in the famous nursery rhyme "Row, Row, Row Your Boat."  REPETITION LITERARY DEVICE Repetition vs. repetition of sounds. Within the realm of literary devices , repetition and repetition of sounds are often grouped together. However, there are key differences between literary devices that repeat words and phrases and literary devices that repeat specific sounds. To clarify this, let’s take a look at literary devices that repeat specific sounds.  1. Consonance The repetition of sounds made by consonants is known as consonance. A famous tongue twister example of this is “ Sh elley s ells sh ells by the s ea sh ore.”  2. Assonance Assonance is the repetitive use of vowel sounds within a single line of text. Often referred to as “vowel rhyming,” assonance typically utilizes recurring vowel sounds in the middle of consecutive words.  These words have to be close together in a line of text so that the repetition of the vowel sound is more noticeable. For example, Edgar Allen Poe uses assonance in his poem “The Bells:” "Hear the m e llow w e dding b e lls"  3. Alliteration Alliteration is a literary technique when two or more words are linked that share the same first consonant sound. In the famous song “Let it Be” by The Beatles the lyrics " Whisper words of wisdom …” are an example of alliteration.  A Complete List of Literary Devices → What is a Metaphor? Definition and Examples → Different Types of Irony Every Storyteller Should Know → Explore more literary devices Repetition is just one of many literary devices and types of figurative language , including anaphora , assonance , and alliteration . If you're a writer and want to develop your craft fully, do yourself a favor and continue this exploration. The next article on literary devices is a gateway to many of these tools that help add substance and style to any type of written work. Up Next: Literary Devices Index → Write and produce your scripts all in one place.. Write and collaborate on your scripts FREE . Create script breakdowns, sides, schedules, storyboards, call sheets and more. Leave a comment Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked * Pricing & Plans Product Updates Featured On StudioBinder Partners The Ultimate Guide to Call Sheets (with FREE Call Sheet Template) How to Break Down a Script (with FREE Script Breakdown Sheet) The Only Shot List Template You Need — with Free Download Managing Your Film Budget Cashflow & PO Log (Free Template) A Better Film Crew List Template Booking Sheet Best Storyboard Softwares (with free Storyboard Templates) Movie Magic Scheduling Gorilla Software Storyboard That A visual medium requires visual methods. Master the art of visual storytelling with our FREE video series on directing and filmmaking techniques. We’re in a golden age of TV writing and development. More and more people are flocking to the small screen to find daily entertainment. So how can you break put from the pack and get your idea onto the small screen? We’re here to help. Making It: From Pre-Production to Screen The Walk and Talk in Film & TV — Writing & Shooting Tips What is Script Writing — The Basics to Help Get You Started Ethos, Pathos & Logos — Definition and Examples of Persuasive Advertising Techniques How to Write a Screenplay — Step-by-Step Process Ultimate AV Script Template to Write Better Ads [FREE AV Script Template] 0 Pinterest Repetition Definition What is repetition? Here’s a quick and simple definition: Repetition is a literary device in which a word or phrase is repeated two or more times. Repetition occurs in so many different forms that it is usually not thought of as a single figure of speech . Instead, it's more useful to think of repetition as being a category that covers a number of more specific figures of speech, all of which use repetition in different ways. Some additional key details about repetition: Figures of speech that employ repetition usually repeat single words or short phrases, but some can involve the repetition of sounds while others might involve the repetition of entire sentences. Repeating information has been scientifically shown to increase the likelihood of changing people's minds. The persuasive power of repetition is one of the reasons it is so common. Repetition Pronunciation Here's how to pronounce repetition: rep-ih- tish -un Figures of Speech that Use Repetition There are many different figures of speech that use repetition, all in different ways. These figures of speech can vary in the things they repeat (sounds, words, phrases, etc.) as well as in the specific order in which the repeated words appear in clauses or sentences. The most common repetition figures of speech are: Alliteration : The repetition of the same sound in a group of words, such as the “b” sound in: “Bob brought the box of bricks to the basement.” The repeating sound must occur either in the first letter of each word, or in the stressed syllables of those words. Anadiplosis : Occurs when a word or group of words located at the end of one clause or sentence is repeated at or near the beginning of the following clause or sentence. This line from the novelist Henry James is an example of anadiplosis: "Our doubt is our passion, and our passion is our task." Anaphora : The repetition of words at the beginning of successive clauses, phrases, or sentences. For example, Martin Luther King's famous "I Have a Dream" speech contains anaphora: "So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania..." Antanaclasis : A repetition of a word or phrase in which the that word or phrase means something different each time it appears. A famous example of antanaclasis is Benjamin Franklin's statement that: "We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately." Antimetabole : The repetition of a phrase, but with the order of words reversed. John F. Kennedy's words, "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country," is a famous example of antimetabole. Assonance : The repetition of the same vowel sound within a group of words. An example of assonance is the repetition of the "oo" sound in: "Who gave Newt and Scooter the blue tuna? It was too soon!" Consonance : The repetition of the same consonant sound within a group of words. An example of consonance is the repetition of the "f" sound in: "Traffic figures to be tough on July Fourth." Diacope : The repetition of a word or phrase with a small number of intervening words. The repetition of "unhappy" in the first line of Anna Karenina is an example of diacope, "Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way," is an example of diacope. Epanalepsis : Occurs when the beginning of a clause or sentence is repeated at the end of that same clause or sentence, with words intervening. The sentence "The king is dead, long live the king!" is an example of epanalepsis. Epistrophe : In epistrophe, one or more words repeat at the end of successive phrases, clauses, or sentences. In his Gettysburg Address, Abraham Lincoln urged the American people to ensure that, "government of the people, by the people, for the people,shall not perish from the earth." His repetition of "the people" at the end of each clause is an example of epistrophe. Epizeuxis : The repetition of a word or phrase in immediate succession, with no words in between. When the character Kurtz in Heart of Darkness says, "The horror, the horror," that's an example of epizeuxis. Polysyndeton : Occurs when coordinating conjunctions—words such as "and," "or," and "but" that join other words or clauses in a sentence into relationships of equal importance—are used several times in close succession, particularly where conjunctions would normally not be present at all. For instance, the following sentence contains polysyndeton: "We ate roast beef and squash and biscuits and potatoes and corn and cheese and cherry pie." Polyptoton : Occurs when words that share the same root, but are not identical, are repeated. The question, "Who shall watch the watchmen?" is an example of polyptoton. Refrain : In a poem or song, a refrain is a line or group of lines that regularly repeat, usually at the end of a stanza in a poem or at the end of a verse in a song. In a speech or other prose writing, a refrain can refer to any phrase that repeats a number of times within the text. Repetition Examples Here are additional examples from literature for each of the most common figures of speech that use repetition. Repetition Example from Literature: Alliteration This example from lines 5-6 of the Prologue of Romeo and Juliet has two sets of alliteration, one with “f” sounds and one with “l” sounds. F rom f orth the f atal l oins of these two f oes A pair of star-cross'd l overs take their l ife; Repetition Example from Literature: Anadiplosis In Lolita , the morally bankrupt Humbert Humbert defends his relationship to the young Lolita to an imagined jury. Here, he reveals that what he presented as another person's letter was actually written by him, ostensibly from memory. What I present here is what I remember of the letter , and what I remember of the letter I remember verbatim (including that awful French.) A tactic of his deceit involves convincing the jury of the improbable—that is, that he remembers a letter verbatim—and his use of anadiplosis as a persuasion tool reflects both his charming and incredibly slimy personality. Repetition Example from Literature: Anaphora In this short excerpt from The Great Gatsby , F. Scott Fitzgerald uses anaphora in a description of the apartment that Tom Buchanan keeps as a secret location for his extramarital affair. The anaphora emphasizes the smallness of this gaudy apartment, which also reflects the pettiness of the affair. The apartment was on the top floor— a small living-room, a small dining-room, a small bedroom, and a bath. Repetition Example from Literature: Antanaclasis Shakespeare often used antanaclasis in his plays. For instance, in Act V of Henry V a character named Pistol promises to sneak off to England and there engage in crime: To England will I steal, and there I'll steal. Repetition Example from Literature: Antimetabole The dashing trio's rallying cry in The Three Musketeers is a famous example of antimetabole. The saying has remained in circulation until today—in part because antimetabole makes it so memorable. All for one and one for all ! Repetition Example from Literature: Assonance In these lines from Book XII of Lattimore's translation of Homer's Iliad the assonance helps reinforce the lulling effect of the winds' sleep: "When Zeus ... st i lls the w i nds asleep i n the sol i d dr i ft ..." Repetition Example from Literature: Consonance In this line from chapter 9 of Moby-Dick , the " s " and " h " sounds mirror the activity of the scene—singing—by making the prose musical. Nearly all joined in s inging thi s h ymn, which s welled h igh about the h owling of the s torm ... Repetition Example from Literature: Diacope In Othello , just before he kills Desdemona in Act V, Othello utters this line that contains the repetition of diacope: Put out the light , and then put out the light . It's worth noting that Othello's line here is also an example of antanaclasis, as he is using "put out the light" to mean two different things. Repetition Example from Literature: Epanalepsis In this excerpt from a speech by Ralph Nader, the repetition of "minimum wage" underscores its role as a major concern in both his speech and his political priorities. A minimum wage that is not a livable wage can never be a minimum wage . Repetition Example from Literature: Epistrophe In this example from Chapter 28 of the The Grapes of Wrath , Steinbeck's use of epistrophe in Tom Joad's farewell dialog with his mother emphasizes Joad's desire both to provide her with some reassurance and continue to be there for her: Wherever they's a fight so hungry people can eat, I'll be there . Wherever they's a cop beaten' up a guy, I'll be there ...I'll be in the way guys yell when they're mad an'—I'll be in the way kids laugh when they're hungry and they know supper's ready. An' when our folk eat the stuff they raise n'live in the houses they build—why, I'll be there . Joad's repetition of his presence wherever poor people need help also emphasizes his dedication to the cause he believes in, and turns him into an almost mythological or godly presence who is always there to protect and support the downtrodden. Repetition Example from Literature: Epizeuxis One of the most famous examples of epizeuxis occurs in Hamlet , as Hamlet is speaking to (and mocking) Polonious in Act 2. When Polonius asks Hamlet what he's reading, Hamlet responds: Words, words, words. Here Hamlet both mocks what he sees as the stupidity of Polonious's question, but at the same time the repetition communicates a kind of awful weariness, in which Hamlet can't bring himself to care about the meaning of the words. Repetition Example from Literature: Polysyndeton Bob Dylan won the nobel prize for literature for the genius of his lyrics. His song "Masters of War" shows how polysyndeton can be used to build a specific emotion: " And I hope that you die And your death'll come soon I will follow your casket In the pale afternoon And I'll watch while you're lowered Down to your deathbed And I'll stand over your grave 'Til I'm sure that you're dead" Anger and disgust are palpable in the final lines of this song of protest against the politicians behind the Vietnam War. By using polysyndeton, Dylan continues to add phrase after phrase, far beyond where listeners might expect him to stop, to fully communicate the depth of his fury and his hatred for the politicians he calls the "masters of war." Repetition Example from Literature: Polyptoton In Shakespeare's play Troilus and Cressida , the character Troilus uses polyptoton three times in two lines. In all three cases, the repetition emphasizes the might of the Greeks: The Greeks are strong and skillful to their strength , Fierce to their skill and to their fierceness valiant; Repetition Example from Literature: Refrain These are the first two stanzas of a song from Shakespeare's play, Twelfth Night . This poem actually contains a "double refrain," because it has two lines that repeat as refrains in each stanza. When that I was and a little tiny boy, With hey, ho, the wind and the rain, A foolish thing was but a toy, For the rain it raineth every day. But when I came to man’s estate, With hey, ho, the wind and the rain, ’Gainst knaves and thieves men shut their gate, For the rain it raineth every day. Why Do Writers Use Repetition? Given the large number of figures of speech that use repetition, it stands to reason that writers use repetition for all sorts of different reasons. That said, it's possible to describe some general reasons that writers might choose to use repetition: Emphasis: The repetition of a word or phrase naturally serves to highlight it's importance within a text and as a thing or idea. Persuasion: Scientific studies have shown that simply repeating something is one of the most effective ways to convince people of its truth. Figures of speech that use repetition are common in speeches for just this reason. Contrast: Sometimes by repeating the same thing in slightly different contexts it is possible to illuminate contrasts. For instance, in the sentence, "What you own ends up owning you," the repetition of "own" highlights the contrast or twist in the sentence, which argues that the things you buy to improve your life can end up limiting and influencing your life choices. Rhythm: Repetition creates a natural rhythm, like beats of a drum, within a sentence. Repetition, then, is not just valuable for how it can allow a writer to control the meaning of sentences. It also can help a writer to affect the feel of those sentences. Other Helpful Repetition Resources Wikipedia entry on repetition : A pretty basic discussion of repetition as a device. Youtube video on repetition : This video covers the basics of repetition. PDFs for all 136 Lit Terms we cover Downloads of 1964 LitCharts Lit Guides Teacher Editions for every Lit Guide Explanations and citation info for 41,397 quotes across 1964 books Downloadable (PDF) line-by-line translations of every Shakespeare play Alliteration Anadiplosis Antanaclasis Antimetabole Epanalepsis Figure of Speech Polysyndeton Understatement Characterization Figurative Language External Conflict Blank Verse Red Herring Dynamic Character Rhyme Scheme Rising Action Internal Rhyme Bildungsroman 243 COMMENTS Writing 101: What Is Repetition? 7 Types of Repetition in Writing With 1. Anaphora. Anaphora is the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of several successive clauses that have different endings. This is such a popular tactic in oration that it appears in two of history's most famous speeches—Martin Luther King's "I have a dream" speech and Winston Churchill's "We Shall Fight on These ... 30+ Repetition Examples: 13 Types + How To Use It Effectively Here are 10 types of repetition, accompanied by examples of each: 1. Anaphora. Anaphora is the repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of successive phrases. One of the most famous anaphora examples comes from Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous "I have a dream" speech: "I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up ... How to Avoid Repetition and Redundancy in Academic Writing Vary the structure and length of your sentences. Don't use the same pronoun to reference more than one antecedent (e.g. " They asked whether they were ready for them") Avoid repetition of particular sounds or words (e.g. " Several shelves sheltered similar sets of shells ") Avoid redundancies (e.g " In the year 2019 " instead of ... How to Use Repetition to Develop Effective Paragraphs Repetition of Key Words. Repeating keywords in a paragraph is an important technique for achieving cohesion. Of course, careless or excessive repetition is boring—and a source of clutter. But used skillfully and selectively, as in the paragraph below, this technique can hold sentences together and focus the reader's attention on a central ... Repetition in Writing and Rhetoric: 9 Types and Examples The constant repetition of the word "the ring" at the end of every line helps the reader pay attention to this object throughout the discourse. 6. Epistrophe. This strategy involves repeating a word at the end of every clause or line. This technique helps writers add not just emphasis but also rhythm to their writing. Repetition in writing: why it happens, what it means, and how to fix it If repetition recurs, consider reorganizing the manuscript. Sometimes, with a given manuscript organization, it's hard to determine one place to put an idea. You might describe the idea in Chapter 2, explain how it applies to a given problem in Chapter 3, and show how it is an example of a larger idea in Chapter 7. ... Tuesday's Tip: Repetition, Repetition, Repetition Tuesday's Tip: Repetition, Repetition, Repetition. This edition of Tuesday's Tips is brought to us by Dr. Ryan Shirey, the Director of the WFU Writing Center. One concern that students often have is that they are repeating themselves, either in word or idea, over the course of an essay. While repetition is not an inherently bad thing (and ... Definition and Examples of Repetition in Writing Repetition is an instance of using a word, phrase, or clause more than once in a short passage—dwelling on a point. Needless or unintentional repetition (a tautology or pleonasm) is a kind of clutter that may distract or bore a reader. (The baseless fear of repetition is humorously called monologophobia .) Used deliberately, repetition can be ... Repetition: Definition and Examples Quite simply, repetition is the repeating of a word or phrase. It is a common rhetorical device used to add emphasis and stress in writing and speech. Repetition is widely used in both poetry and prose; throughout all genres and forms of literature and oral tradition. Aside from helping stress or highlight important thoughts and points ... 29 Must-Know Examples of Repetition in Literature When naught would be accepted but the ring, You would abate the strength of your displeasure. — The Merchant of Venice by Shakespeare. 9. Epizeuxis. The successive repetition of a word or phrase within one clause or sentence. Example: "The horror, the horror.". — Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad. 10. Repetition Examples in Literature and Writing Repetition can be problematic in writing if it leads to dull work. View repetition examples in literature and writing to strengthen your writing. Creating Flow via Repetition Creating Flow via Repetition. Writers enhance flow by repeating key words or phrases in a text to invoke recall and pathos. Repetition is key to improving a paragraph's flow, connecting related ideas and keeping the reader on track. Still, there is a difference between obvious and boring repetition and intriguing and effective repetition. What is Repetition in Writing? Examples, Definitions, and How to Create Repetition works best when it's clear and straightforward. Don't overcomplicate things or try to be too clever. Simplicity is the key to making repetition effective. ... SEO, business, and AI as well as non-fiction essays on a variety of interesting topics such as psychology, writing, history, and economics. As a top author on Medium.com ... Repetition In addition to using repeating words and phrases as a literary device, writers may use repetition of sounds as well. Overall, the repetition of sound can provide rhythm, pacing, and musicality to a work of poetry or prose.These types of repeated sounds are consonance, assonance, and alliteration.. Consonance is the repetition of a consonant sound in a group of words, such as there is little ... Repetition Definition: Types of Repetition in Poetry and Prose 2. Anaphora—Repetition at the Beginning of Lines or Clauses. For the most part, anaphora is an example of repetition in poetry. This device involves the repeated use of a word or phrase at the beginning of each line in a poem, or each sentence in prose. Let's look at repetition examples for each. What are the tricks to avoid repetition in writing? Make a conscious decision what to do about it (delete the word, leave the sentence alone, rewrite the sentence to make the word unnecessary). Make notes about how you decide which to retain, which to remove, and which to revise. On the other hand, you can replace overused words and phrases with synonyms or equivalents. What Is Repetition in a Story: Definition and Examples of Repetition in Repetition as a literary device is present in almost every kind of writing, be it a novel, short story, poem, or essay that we've come to know and love. When it's used effectively, we often don't even realize it's there. Repetition can be present in words, phrases, sounds, images, or themes. When & How to Use Repetition Repetition is a simple and fairly easy device to use in writing. In fact, all you have to do is: Choose words that you think are important and worth stressing. Repeat those words in a way that is memorable. Doing so helps makes them stick out in your audience's mind and establishes them as meaningful. Not overuse it, or it will loose its ... How to Use ProWritingAid to Find Repeated Phrases All Repeats. Within the editing tool, there is a section called "Repeats." There are two different reports you can run. The first is "All Repeats." This report will check your writing for repeated phrases. The report will populate on the left-hand side, and it organizes by the length of the phrase. How repetition affects your writing In writing, repetition can occur with single words, phrases, or even ideas. One place where this often occurs is the introduction of a piece of work when some writers say what the article is about ... How to Use ProWritingAid's All Repeats Report How to Navigate the Report. ProWritingAid's All Repeats Report will highlight all of your repeated phrases and list them for you in a handy toolbar. Clicking on the arrow highlighted above will show or hide the list of repeated phrases. These phrases are also highlighted in your document. You can manipulate the highlights using the navigation menu. What is Repetition 1. Consonance. The repetition of sounds made by consonants is known as consonance. A famous tongue twister example of this is " Sh elley s ells sh ells by the s ea sh ore.". 2. Assonance. Assonance is the repetitive use of vowel sounds within a single line of text. Repetition Repetition is a literary device in which a word or phrase is repeated two or more times. Repetition occurs in so many different forms that it is usually not thought of as a single figure of speech. Instead, it's more useful to think of repetition as being a category that covers a number of more specific figures of speech, all of which use ... assignment essay homework paper phd report resume review speech thesis