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Ploce

Rhetorical Devices
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

Ploce is the repetition of a word, often with a shift in meaning, grammatical role, or emphasis. It draws attention to the word's complexity and changing context.

Detailed Definition
Ploce repeats a significant word or name in different parts of a passage, often allowing its meaning, implication, or grammatical function to change with each appearance. The recurrence links ideas while inviting readers to notice how context alters the repeated term. Poets use ploce to explore ambiguity, contrast public and private meanings, develop a central image, or make an argument turn on a single charged word. Its repetitions provide verbal cohesion and music, yet they also reveal that apparently familiar language can carry multiple emotional and intellectual values.
Example
Example in poetry:
“Alone, alone, I waited beside the sea,” repeating the same word for emphasis; “Never, never shall the willow forget,” using repeated wording to intensify the claim; “The rose is a rose, even in winter,” repeating a word with renewed force; “Love calls for love, and love answers love,” repeating the key term across a line
Additional Notes
Ploce is more purposeful than accidental repetition because each recurrence gains emphasis or changes function. Track whether the repeated word shifts from noun to verb, literal to figurative meaning, or general claim to specific one.
Also Known As
Word Repetition Reiterated Diction Repetitive Echo Repetition with Variation
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