SDs Based on Repetition

Repetition is a SD which emphasizes certain statements of a speaker and so possesses considerable emotive forth. According to the place which the repeated unit occupies in a sentence or utterance repetition is classified into several types: anaphora; epiphora; framing or ring repletion; anadiplosis or catch repetition; chain repletion; ordinary repetition; successive repetition. We shall focus our attention on four main types most frequently occurring in English literature. They are anaphora, epiphora, anadiplosis (catching repetition), framing (ring repetition).

Anaphora is the repetition of some successive sentences or clauses.

The pattern is a…, a…, a… .

E.g. I might as well face facts: good-bye Susan, good-bye a big house, good-bye power, good-bye the silly handsome dreams.

The main function is not so much to emphasize the repeated unit as to create the background for the non-repeated unit.

Epiphora is a repetition of the final words. The function is to add stress to the final words of the sentence. The pattern is …a, …a, …a.

E.g. I woke up and I am alone, I walk around and I am alone, I talk with people and I am alone.

Catching repetition (anadiplosis) is a SD where the end of one clause or sentence is repeated in the beginning of the following one.

E.g. Freeman and slave… carried on an uninterrupted, now hidden, now open fight, a fight that each time ended, either in a revolutionary re-construction of society at large, or in the common ruin of the contending classes. (K. Marx, F. Engels)

Framing (a ring repetition)

The beginning of the sentence is repeated in the end. The function is to explain the notion mentioned in the beginning of the sentence. Between the appearances of the repeated unit there comes the developing middle part of the sentence which explains and classifies what was introduced in the beginning, so that by the time it is used for the second time its semantics is specified.

E.g. Poor doll’s dressmaker! How often so dragged down by hands that should have raised her up; how often so misdirected when losing her way on the eternal road and asking guidance. Poor, little doll’s dressmaker. (Dickens)

Chain Repetition presents several successive anadiploses. The effect is that of the smoothly developing logical reasoning. The pattern is … a, a … b, b … c, c…

E.g. For glances beget ogles, ogles sighs, sighs wishes, wishes words, and words a letter . (Byron)

Ordinary Repetition has no definite place in the sentence and the repeated unit occurs in different positions. It emphasizes both the logical and the emotional meaning of the reiterated word or phrase.

Successive Repetition is a string of closely following each other reiterated units. This is the most emphatic type of repetition which signifies the peak of emotions of the speaker. The pattern is … a, a, a …

E.g. And everywhere were people. People going into gates and coming out of gates. People staggering and falling. People fighting and cursing. (P.

Abrahams)