A structural device in which the opening words, phrases, or images of a poem are echoed or repeated at the conclusion, creating a sense of circular return and thematic completion. This technique suggests that the journey undertaken within the poem ultimately returns to its starting point, often with deepened understanding or transformed perspective. The echo can be exact repetition or variation that demonstrates how the intervening content has altered the meaning of the initial statement.

Creates sense of closure and unity by returning to opening imagery or language. Can suggest cyclical time, eternal return, or that the journey ends where it began. Particularly effective in meditative or philosophical poems.