An annular structure is a compositional design in which a poem begins and ends with the same word, phrase, image, or idea, forming a circular or ring-like pattern that suggests cyclical time, eternal return, or unresolved recurrence; this technique, common in folk ballads and modern lyric sequences, creates a closed loop that resists linear progression, emphasizing stasis, ritual, or the inescapability of certain emotional or historical conditions, and often deepens in meaning upon rereading as the return gains new resonance.

Poem structured as ring composition where ending returns to beginning image or phrase. Creates closure through circularity. Related to envelope structure. Effective for meditative or cyclical themes.