what is repetition?
definition
A repeated word or idea within the text.
example
When the sniper reached the street, he felt a sudden curiosity as to the identity of the enemy sniper whom he had killed. He wondered did he know him.
from Liam O'Flaherty's The Sniper
from Liam O'Flaherty's The Sniper
explanationThe writer repeats in the second sentence, the idea from the first. He uses different words but the ideas of "curiosity" and "wonder" are closely aligned. By repeating the idea, the writer induces a curiosity in the reader as well. "Why is the sniper so curious?" we ask ourselves. This is almost subconscious as the repetition itself is so subtle that we might barely notice it. The writer performs a psychological sleight of hand and encourages our interest in the story and in this way, he makes us wonder what what happen next. Psychologically we are drawn to the pattern that repeated ideas offer us so the use of repetition is a powerful literary device.
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