Repetition

__Definition:__

Repitition can be defined as the act of repeating to emphasize importance. -Andrea G.

__Example 1:__

This example, although long, accurately displays how Phil feels about the confusing situation he's in.

" ** __I didn't know__ ** . __**I didn't know**__ any longer what the law was and so **__I didn't know__** what might or might not be against it. __**I didn't seem to know**__ whether my own father-who'd just headed downstairs with my mother-was really alive or pretending to be alive or being driven around dead in the back of that ambluance. __**I didn't know**__ anything. __**I didn't know**__ why Alvin was bad now instead of good. __**I didn't know**__ if I had dreamed that an FBI agent had questioned me on Chancellor Avenue." (bottom page 171-top page 172)

Another example from the novel is the memorable phone conversation between Seldon, Mrs. Roth, and Phil. Found on pages 276-280, Mrs. Roth is checking on the Wishnow's and making sure everything is ok. Seldon, in his replies, makes seven references to the fig newtons he consumed that day. The constant repitition of this fact drills into the reader's head the innocense that Phil possesses. Also, the reader is reminded of how fragile Seldon is. It may seem comical, but Seldon being so obvlivious to the situation around him instills fear into the reader as well.

-Andy Wargin

__Example 2:__

Instances of repetition in everyday life are so common that they are often very easy to overlook. One prime example of reiteration in speeches is Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech where rising points are marked by a repeated refrain coming after it to emphasize that argument. Furthermore, something that most everyone can relate to in terms of repetition is music. The majority of all songs have some sort of chorus or refrain that is restated again and again throughout the song to reinforce a certain idea or message. In addition, in places such as advertising, a certain word that is meant to stand out is often repeated several times to stress the importance of the word and to gain public attention. For instance, in this advertisement, the word "win" is repeated several times as a way to mark that winning is the key objective. Overall, repetition is not solely seen in books or poems, but is seen all around us, even in places that we might not think or where we are just so used to that we miss the importance of having repetition there.(picture from http://www.detdemolition.com/ssp/sponsorship. -Rebecca H.