What is Repetition?
The act of repeating something.
Repeating for Emphasis: How Repetition Strengthens Writing
Repetition is an essential device in the writer's toolkit. Used befittingly, it increases coherence, reinforces meaning, and reinforces ideas and messages. By repeating phrases, words, or sentence structures, writers deliberately drive home a point or an emotion, effectively ingraining it into a reader's mind, elevating it beyond merely 'stating' or 'telling'.
In grammar, repetition of words can show emphasis or add effect to your writing, but it must be done judiciously – overuse of a word or phrase will dilute its power. Nevertheless, carefully placed repetition can help you leave a lasting impact on your readers.
Repetition is used by writers to highlight a point, create emphasis, and tie together themes throughout literature. Here are two examples:
One of the most memorable examples of repetition in poetry is Dylan Thomas's "Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night." He repeats the line "Do not go gentle into that good night" throughout the poem to express the feelings of frustration and resistance against death.
In George Orwell's "Animal Farm," the phrase, 'Four legs good, two legs bad' is repeated throughout the book to reinforce the idea of animal superiority and human inferiority.