Question

It's oh! and it's ah! It's alack! and alas!

Just imagine you lived in a big looking-glass!

Oh, what could you say and what could you do
If you lived all alone in the toe of a shoe?
You could hop, you could skip, you could jump, you could dance,
And you'd hear very little of "shouldn'ts" and "shan'ts."
You could stump your big toe, and it would never get hurt;
You could kick up the sand, you could play in the dirt.

But it's oh! and it's ah! It's alack! and alas!
Just imagine you lived in a big looking-glass!

Oh, what could you do, and what would you say
If you lived in the pantry all night and all day?
You could say it was jolly, and splendid, and nice;
You could eat all the jelly, and frighten the mice.
You could taste the preserves, you could nibble the cheese--
You could smell the red pepper, and sit down and sneeze.

But it's oh! and it's ah! It's alack! and alas!
Just imagine you lived in a big looking-glass!

Oh, what could you do if you lived under ground?
You could ride Mr. Mole and go galloping round;
You could hear the black cricket a-playing his fife,
For to quiet the baby and please his dear wife.
You could hear the green grasshopper frying his meat,
Near the nest of the June-Bug under the wheat.
You could get all the goobers and artichokes, too--
You could peep from the window the grub-worm went through.

But it's oh! and it's ah! It's alack! and alas!
Just imagine you lived in a big looking-glass!
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What is the purpose of the repetition of the stanza below throughout the poem?
But it's oh! and it's ah! It's alack! and alas!
Just imagine you lived in a big looking-glass!

Answer 1

The stanza is repeated to create rhythm in the poem and to emphasize the idea of living in a big looking-glass.

Step-by-step explanation:

Repetition is a literary device used within the lines and stanzas of poems to stress an idea that the poet wants the reader to take note of and to form a rhythm that makes reading the poem more enjoyable and appealing to the ears. This device also makes the poem easier to recall as it sticks to the mind of the reader.

The repeated stanza of the above poem has an emphasis on the 'a' sound. There is thus a rhythm created that not only makes the poem more enjoyable to read, but also stresses the idea of living in a big looking-glass.