Repetition in the Ballad and Nature

A general characteristic of the poems we have read in Lyrical Ballads is their consistent use of repetition. The repetition generally appears in several phrases. For instance, in the poem “The Thorn”, the phrase “old and grey” is used several times to describe the thorn. In some ways, this repetition keeps the narrative reined in. As the poem branches off, the repetition brings the reader back into the story and its central focus. It also adds to the cohesiveness of the poem as a whole.

Perhaps this is extrapolating too far, but since our class does center on nature, I think this technique is one that is mirrored naturally. For instance, take a tree. It starts with a trunk, and branches in both directions—from roots to leaves. But the leaves generally have a pattern to them and look the same on a tree, making it a single cohesive unit. Regardless of the example, repetition is evident all over nature, and thus a ballad’s use of a single phrase is a literary technique that feels, to some extent, natural.