Question

How does the use of repetition best contribute to the meaning of the poem?

Answer 1

In poetry, repetition is repeating words, phrases, lines, or stanzas. Stanzas are groups of lines that are together. Repetition is used to emphasize a feeling or idea, create rhythm, and/or develop a sense of urgency.

Answer 2

The repetition of the phrases "pile them high" and "let me work" in Carl Sandburg's poem "Grass" contributes to the poem's meaning in two important ways.

First, it creates a sense of urgency and inevitability. The repetition of these phrases suggests that war is a constant and recurring feature of human history, and that the grass will always be there to cover up the evidence of its destruction.

Lastly,, the repetition of these phrases highlights the contrast between the beauty and resilience of nature and the violence and destructiveness of humanity. The grass is a symbol of life and renewal, while the battlefields that it covers are symbols of death and destruction.