Back Quote by Edward Hirsch
“I've been fascinated over the years by the way refrains work. Think, say, of the refrains in Yeats' ballads. Ideally, each time the refrain comes back in a poem, it is both the same and different. It works by counterpoint and reiteration. It accrues meaning.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: “The Refrain in Poetry” (published in The New Yorker, 2015)
Describes how poetic refrains function as both repetition and variation, creating depth through counterpoint and reiteration.
In simple terms: Refrains repeat and change, adding meaning.
Key Takeaway
Use repeated motifs with variation to enrich work.
Themes
poetry
structure
repetition
variation
meaning
Mood
analytical
instructive
Type
literary
educational
When to use this quote
- writing workshops
- literary criticism
- music composition
- public speaking
Key Concepts
literary analysis
creative technique
counterpoint
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you balance repetition and novelty?
- What motifs can you vary for impact?
A Different Perspective
Risk of over‑reliance on repetition reducing originality.
