Rhetoric

Rhetoric is, broadly, the “use of language to persuade or otherwise affect an audience” (Farnsworth's Classical English Rhetoric).

Rhetorical techniques

Repetition

This is one of the most important general ideas in rhetoric.

Epimone: repetition of phrases

Some examples:

Car la France n’est pas seule! Elle n’est pas seule! Elle n’est pas seule! - Charles de Gaule’s Appeal of 18 June

Conduplicato: repeating the same word with other words between

Examples:

Of all the gin joins in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine.

Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.

Also, diacope where there are just a few words between them.

Epizeuxis: repetition of words consecutively

Epizeuxis is the repetition of the same word consecutively:

Reputation, reputation, reputation! Oh, I have lost my reputation! I have lost the immortal part of myself, and what remains is bestial. My reputation, Iago, my reputation! - Othello, 2, 3

A common variation on the triplet has two repetitions, but delays the third:

O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo? - Romeo and Juliet, 2, 2

A horse! a horse! my kingdom for a horse! - Richard III, 5, 4

We were told - told emphatically and abundantly - that the method of their going would be a masterpiece of tactical skill. Tactics! Tactics! Ladies and gentlemen, the country is tired of their tactics. It would have been better for them if they had had less of tactics and more of reality. But they have lived for some years on nothing but tactics, and now they have died of tactics. - Campbell-Bannerman, speech at London (1905)

The initial couplet serves as a call to arms, with the final singlet delivered after some elaboration. In prose, there is often much more articulation. Sometimes, the reverse is used:

Death and devils! men, it is Moby Dick ye have seen - Moby Dick - Moby Dick! - Melville, Moby-Dick (1851)

Generally, conduplicatio is the repetition of the same word, separated by other words:

No lawyer can say so; because no lawyer could say so without forfeiting his character as a lawyer. - Grattan, speech in the Irish Parliment (1753)

Returning to the same word makes it a theme of the utterance and leaves a strong impression on the listener.

A bad cause will ever be supported by bad means and bad men… - Paine, The American Crisis (1783)

This can be combined among multiple cases:

I allow, indeed, that the Empire of Germany raises her revenue and her troops by quotas and contingents; but the revenue of the Empire and the army of the Empire is the worst revenue and the worst army in the world. - Burke, Speech on Conciliation with the Colonies (1775)

Conduplicato for enlargement

It can be used to strengthen an argument.

It can be used to expand a statement or further refine it.