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recurring line

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

A line that repeats at intervals throughout a poem for emphasis or structure

Detailed Definition
A recurring line is a phrase or sentence that repeats at intervals throughout a poem, functioning like a refrain to structure rhythm, reinforce theme, or evoke ritual; its variations or invariance can signal stability, obsession, or cyclical time.
Example
Example in poetry:
“And still I rise” repeated as refrain in Maya Angelou’s poem; “Do not go gentle into that good night” recurring in Dylan Thomas; “Quoth the Raven, ‘Nevermore’” in Poe; “The woods are lovely, dark and deep” echoing in Frost’s closing lines
Additional Notes
A recurring line (refrain) repeats at intervals for emphasis, musicality, or structural unity—found in villanelles, ballads, and liturgical poetry.
Also Known As
Refrain recurring phrase repeated line echoing verse inherited repetend repeated verse Repetitive verse unit
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