Repetition
Definition:
The act of repeating a statement
to enforce it.
Examples:
Ann Richards, the governor of
Texas, gave a speech outlining things that were wrong
in the country. Repeatedly, after
each item, she suggested that President George Bush lacked
leadership skills by asking, “And where was George?”
“Last night, Japanese forces attacked Hong Kong.
Last night, Japanese forces attacked Guam. Last night,
Japanese forces
attacked the Philippine Islands. Last night, the Japanese
attacked Wake Island. And this morning, the Japanese attacked
Midway Island.” — Franklin D. Roosevelt’s
speech outlining America’s reasons for joining
World War II
“I have a dream that one day this nation will rise
up … I
have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia … I
have a dream that one day even in the state of Mississippi … I
have a dream that my four little children will one day
live …” — opening
lines of Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech
“This is the product that
will make the difference. This is the product that
will make the difference. This
is the
product that will make the difference.”
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What makes repetition
effective?
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What makes repetition dangerous?
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You are writing a speech
in favor of gun control. What repetitive phrase or statistic
might help your cause?
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The first three examples above might
be considered effective. The fourth is probably seen as
annoying. Why is it different?
-
You are going to give a speech
against cutting foreign languages from the curriculum.
How could you employ the
phrase “no
mas” (no more) repetitively in your work? Write
out several lines.
Download
a PDF file of the student handout, Repetition. |
