Repetition and Parallelism

Repetition and Parallelism
by polo valentine, phoebe stepheny

Repetition in poetry means the repeating of words, phrases, lines, or stanzas. It is used to emphasize an idea or feeling, to create rhythm and sense of urgency.

Example of Repetition in Poetry:

• If you think you can do it, you can do it.
• The bird said, “I don’t sing because I am happy, I am happy because I sing.”

Parallelism is the repeating of words that have the same grammatical structure. It could have similar structure, sound, meter, meaning, etc. It can be used to create a sing-song tune for children, build tension, even emphasize a point according to what the author wants.

Example of Parallelism:

• Like father, like son.

• Easy come, easy go.

Acquainted With the Night

By Robert Frost

I have been one acquainted with the night

I have walked out in rain--and back in rain

I have outwalked the furthest city light

I have passed by the watchman on his beat

And dropped my eyes, unwilling to explain

I have stood still and stopped the sound of feet

When far away an interrupted cry

Came over houses from another street

But not to call me back or say good-bye

And further still at an unearthly height

One luminary clock against the sky

Proclaimed the time was neither wrong nor right

I have been one acquainted with the night

Analysis (by Polo Valentine) :

This poem uses repetition on the beginning of the line. Robert Frost writes ‘I have’ as a repetition. In this poem repetition is used to create rhythm and emphasize the meaning behind. We can see that this poem uses iambic pentameter to create a steady rhythmical pattern. Robert Frost wanted to tell the readers about how the person had already acquainted with the night, walked out in rain, passed by the watchman, and stood still and stopped. The repetition of I have also gives us the feeling of a dull routine and reinforcement of past. By using repetition and parallelism, it helps to make an idea or argument clear and memorable. This poem have aba bcb cdc dad aa rhyme. Night can be associated with darkness and depression. This line can mean that the author or speaker have acquainted with their depression.

The word rain on the second line can be a metaphor for loneliness. By using the word rain it makes the reader easier to understand the feeling of loneliness. How he walked out of loneliness just to be lonely again. I have outwalked the furthest city light can mean that he have walked further than the light, light can mean hope. It means that he have lost hope. The word watchman can mean another person. Dropping eyes means shyness, because he is shy then he is unwilling to explain.the next lines suggest that he feels no one is calling him to come and join them. The last line reinstate that he feels alone and depressed. And he also accepts that loneliness and depression are part of human nature and it is normal to feel alone. By using repetition Robert Frost can reaffirmed what he wants to expressed which is the understanding that feeling alone is normal for human and it is okay to feel depressed sometime in life.

Example 2:

Caged Bird

By Maya Angelou

The free bird leaps

on the back of the wind

and floats downstream

till the current ends

and dips his wings

in the orange sun rays

and dares to claim the sky.

But a bird that stalks

down his narrow cage

can seldom see through

his bars of rage

his wings are clipped and

his feet are tied

so he opens his throat to sing.

The caged bird sings

with fearful trill

of the things unknown

but longed for still

and his tune is heard

on the distant hill for the caged bird

sings of freedom

The free bird thinks of another breeze

and the trade winds soft through the sighing trees

and the fat worms waiting on a dawn-bright lawn

and he names the sky his own.

But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams

his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream

his wings are clipped and his feet are tied

so he opens his throat to sing

The caged bird sings

with a fearful trill

of things unknown

but longed for still

and his tune is heard

on the distant hill

for the caged bird

sings of freedom.

Analysis (by Phoebe) :

This poem uses repetition on the line 4-6 at stanza 2. He uses the word ‘his’ at the beginning of the sentence. This is used to emphasize and shown that the bird  is angry, and hurt. At stanza 4 line 2-4 it is also shown repetition on the word ‘and’ at the beginning of the sentence. The word ‘and’ is used to connect words but in this poem it is used to connect lines.

This poem is telling a story about 2 birds. The first bird is a ‘free bird’. While the other bird is a ‘caged bird’. By reading the first 2 stanzas we could see that there is contrast with this 2 birds. The first stanza (line 1-7) telling us that a bird is free; that it interacts with nature and ‘dares to claim the sky’. While in stanza 2 (line 8-14) it tells us a captured bird; shown that he is trapped at a cage, ‘his wings are clipped, and his feet are tied’, he is enduring pain. Stanza 3 and 6 are the same. It is shown that the ‘caged bird’ sings of a freedom song, which he wanted freedom. Stanza 4 tells us again about the free bird that enjoys his surrounding; the trees, the fat worms, the sky. This is a contrast toward the caged bird that he is enslaved. Stanza 5 described that the caged bird stands on the grave of dreams which means that all dreams and hope on being free died and buried there.

This poem is written by Maya Angelou and this poem is a symbol that is written about the African American that didn’t being treated as well as the whites. They lived in poverty for years while the whited lived in wealth. The caged bird talks about African American that attempt to rise above limitation to gain their rights against the free bird-the whites.