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closing repetition

Device
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Repetition of a word or phrase at the conclusion of a poem or section for emphasis

Detailed Definition
Closing repetition is the deliberate reuse of a word, phrase, or line at the very end of a poem to create emphasis, emotional resonance, or structural circularity; unlike a refrain that recurs throughout, this device appears only in the final position—e.g., “Never again. Never again.”—to convey obsession, lament, or finality, anchoring the poem’s thematic core in the reader’s memory.
Example
Example in poetry:
Ending a poem with the repeated phrase "I remember"; Closing with "Never again. Never again."; Repeating the opening line as the final line for circularity; A refrain like "And still she sings" appearing only at the poem’s end; Ending with "Gone. Gone. Gone." for emotional emphasis
Additional Notes
Closing repetition emphasizes a word, phrase, or line at a poem’s end for emotional or thematic resonance; creates circularity, insistence, or lament (e.g., "Never again"); differs from refrain by appearing only at closure; students should analyze its psychological impact—comfort, obsession, or finality—and avoid overuse; linked to "echo," "refrain," and "anaphora" when internal.
Also Known As
terminal refrain end-line echo coda recurrence Terminal reiteration Terminal repetition
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