POETIC DEVICE: REPETITION

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We use poetic devices to enhance our written work and create a deeper connection for our reader. Today, we’ll take a look at the poetic device: Repetition
 

​Repetition is the repeated use of words or phrases. It can help:

• emphasize an idea
• enhance rhythm
• in a picture book, invite reader participation

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​​This month, let’s take a close look at the use of repetition in Liz Garton Scanlon’s award-winning picture book ALL THE WORLD, beautifully illustrated by Caldecott Honor medalist Marla Frazee.

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A few years ago, I had the pleasure of attending an SCBWI Zoom webinar featuring Liz. (And just this past spring I met her in person at a regional conference in Florida! Yay!) She spoke in great depth about crafting non-traditional picture books and described elements which add layers and complexity. This sets these picture books apart, and readers are drawn to look at them again and again.
 
The text in ALL THE WORLD is basically a lovely list poem.
The list contains little things that Scanlon zoomed in on, and then she shifted the perspective back to look at larger things to celebrate in the natural world. By doing this, she showed how we are all connected to one another and the world around us.
  
Rock, stone, pebble, sand
Body, shoulder, arm, hand
A moat to dig,
a shell to keep
All the world is wide and deep

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The picture book continues to move from smaller objects to bigger concepts through the course of a day and the simple words “All the world. . .” is repeated ten times to emphasize that connection. As the day closes near the book’s end, author and illustrator celebrate “All the world . . . is all of us.” The illustrations are lovely and the sense of our connection to the natural world and to one another is beautifully crafted. The repetition of the key phrase “All the world . . .” kept buzzing in my brain long after I had finished enjoying this gorgeous picture book the first time I read it years ago.

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Meeting Liz at the 2023 Florida Conference

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​Can you find a way to use repetition effectively in any of your current projects? Is there a key phrase that might speak to your reader? It sure is a handy device to have in your writing toolbox. 
​Happy writing!
 
by Eileen Meyer, Rhyme Doctor