A periphrastic echo is a poetic device in which a concept or image is restated indirectly through circumlocution—a roundabout or descriptive phrase—rather than direct naming, and this rephrasing is then echoed later in the poem to create resonance, thematic reinforcement, or evolving nuance; for instance, referring first to “the winged herald of dawn” and later to “that feathered announcer of light” not only avoids repetition but deepens the symbolic texture, allowing the echo to function as both mnemonic anchor and interpretive expansion that rewards attentive reading.

Periphrastic echo repeats an idea using more words than necessary, creating resonant redundancy; builds emphasis through circumlocution—use in elegy or incantation.