Home › Glossary › Letter I

Interwoven refrain

Structure
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

Want to hear it? Click the Listen button to hear the browser speak the word using text-to-speech!

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

A refrain repeated in woven, braided, or alternating positions in a poem

Detailed Definition
An interwoven refrain is a repeated line or phrase that appears in varied positions throughout a poem—not just at stanza ends—creating a dynamic, evolving echo that shifts meaning with each recurrence; this technique deepens thematic resonance and mimics musical development.
Example
Example in poetry:
Refrain appearing in varied placement; Ballad refrains shuffled through poem; Medieval carols with repositioned repeats; Modern songs echoing line at different stanzas
Additional Notes
Interwoven refrain: A repeated phrase or line (refrain) that is blended into the body of the stanzas rather than standing as a separate closing line; similar to interlaced burden.
Also Known As
repeating braid echoed refrain interlaced refrain Braided refrain Overlapping refrain
Skip to main content