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Repeated ellipsis

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 stylistic device using multiple omitted words or phrases for compression and suggestive rhythm

Detailed Definition
Repeated ellipsis is the deliberate and patterned omission of words or phrases across multiple lines or stanzas, creating a rhythmic gap or implied continuity that the reader must mentally supply; this technique enhances poetic economy, builds tension through absence, or suggests unspoken trauma, as in fragmented war poetry where silence speaks louder than words.
Example
Example in poetry:
In “The Waste Land,” “I will show you fear in a handful of dust” followed by ellipsis implies unspeakable trauma; In “Citizen,” Rankine uses “You are in the dark, in the car…” with repeated ellipsis to convey suspended dread; In haiku, “winter silence… / … / crow’s cry” uses repeated ellipsis for pause; Contemporary poet Ocean Vuong employs “I was once… / …a boy” with repeated ellipsis to fragment memory; Student exercise: “She said… / …nothing / …again.”
Additional Notes
Repeated ellipsis uses multiple omissions (...) to suggest hesitation, loss, or the unsayable. Related to sequential gapping. Avoid overuse—each ellipsis should heighten tension or imply withheld meaning crucial to interpretation.
Also Known As
Iterative ellipsis Recurrent omission Repetitive gap Cyclical deletion Hypozeuxis
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