Final answer:
Repetition in poetry emphasizes themes, creates rhythm, and aids in processing personal experiences, as seen in Dunbar's and Williams's poems, as well as in patterns that explore human emotions like revenge and empathy.
Step-by-step explanation:
Repetition in poetry serves several functions: it can emphasize a theme or feeling, create rhythm, and make the poem memorable. In the poem "Sympathy" by Paul Laurence Dunbar, repetition represents the trapped state of the bird and, metaphorically, the yearning for freedom. The poem repeatedly refers to the bird's attempts to escape, which emphasizes its desperation and the intensity of its longing.
The instance of repetition in William Carlos Williams's "The Dead Baby" draws on universal meanings that emerge from observations of specific behaviors. For example, repeating a story serves to process personal trauma and make sense of chaotic events. This creates a rhythm and frame for experiences, lending structure to the otherwise unstructured nature of grief and memory.
Patterns and connections within a poem can raise questions about the human condition. In Dunn's poem, the narrative of the fireman and his dispirited search dog, repeated for personal reasons, draws a parallel to sentiments like revenge and empathy. It suggests that the act of retelling serves the narrator's needs and shapes the story into a form that resonates on a deeper emotional level.