Lesson on Repetition
For Nonfiction
Saying It Again, and Meaning More
Abraham Lincoln, “The Gettysburg Address” · Martin Luther King Jr., “I Have a Dream”
Lessons in Nonfiction
Repetition can be the weakest habit in prose or its strongest device. In speeches meant to be heard, a repeated word or phrase helps listeners follow, and each return can add a new meaning. Lincoln and King repeat on purpose, and change something each time.
Questions on the Classic Readings
Abraham Lincoln, The Gettysburg Address
- “We cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground.” What does the repetition with variation do?
- Why might Lincoln end with “government of the people, by the people, for the people” instead of naming the people once?
Martin Luther King Jr., “I Have a Dream”
- King repeats “Now is the time” and, later, “I have a dream.” How do the two refrains differ in purpose?
- What does the image of “a bad check” contribute before the famous refrain begins?
Activities
These draw on the classic readings on this page.
- Three verbs. Write a sentence on the model of “we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow,” with three verbs that rise in strength.
- A refrain with a purpose. Write a paragraph of a speech using one refrain at least four times, and change what follows it each time so the meaning grows.
—Silver Current Press