Refrains repeat words or phrases in poems or songs, establishing meter or tone. They are found in ancient texts and compared to other forms of repetition. Some writers question their importance, but they can add anticipation and change in meaning. Choruses also repeat, but not always the exact words. Refrains can also be found in free verse.
Refrains are the repetition of a word, phrase, or phrase within a poem or song, usually at the end of each verse or line. The purpose and function of a refrain within a poem varies, with the primary purpose usually being to establish a meter or re-establish tone or mood. Choruses place special emphasis on what is being repeated, often to show a narrative or progressive change in meaning as each verse flows into the next. Sometimes, it simply works as a nice break for the reader or as a filler of sorts. The latter function is more typical of music.
The device is found within many ancient texts and texts. Indeed, the refrains are also found within the ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead. Even the ancient Latins, Greeks and Hebrews used the refrain in their verses. The word refrain comes from the Latin refringere, which means “to break back”. This indicates the refrain’s tendency to break up the line and carry the imagery back to previous times the line was repeated. It also comes from a later term from French, refraindre, which translates to “to check” or “to repeat.”
Other similar forms of repetition such as a sextuplet, villanelle or pantoum are often compared to the structuring of refrains. A sextuplet is a highly structured poem comprising six lines and six stanzas where each stanza ends with the same six words in varying order. Villanelles and pantoums repeat several lines in each stanza of the poem rather than just singular lines as in a refrain.
Some writers question the importance of the refrains. It is believed that repetition may in fact diminish the importance of the sentence and make the poem seem redundant and predictable. Most poetry writers and readers believe that repetition instead acts more as a pleasant pause within the work which can also add anticipation and a desire to reveal the change in meaning behind the line repeated with each stanza.
While a chorus repeats words, phrases, or entire sentences, it doesn’t have to repeat the same exact words every time. In some choruses, one or two words may be substituted. In this case it is important that the repeated line maintain the same metrical rhythm. Refrains are also found in some free verse, usually to establish a sharp division between free verse and prose when combined together. In this case, it also combines the two.
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