What is Refrain ? Isn’t That Song-Writing Stuff?

It sure is, but your writing should also sing…

Last week, we explored anaphora, which is the repetition of a word or phrase, as literary device, at the beginning of successive sentences to maximize emotional impact.

This week, we’re still focusing on the power of repetition, but differently:

If anaphora is repetition at the beginning of sentences, refrain works like an echo at the end of a line, paragraph or even scene. It’s repeated throughout the work itself; it shows up again and again, but usually at the end.

This creates a rhythm throughout, whereas Anaphora creates immediate emotional impact. So it builds to establish resonance in the reader.

And most importantly, it helps you establish a theme in the story so that it means something.

Think of Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged and the question throughout… “Who is John Galt?”

A refrain can be a line of narration or dialogue that’s repeated again and again throughout the entire story.

When these elements show up again and again, they start to feel like they’re on purpose, and that’s the power of refrain and the resonance it creates.

Refrain for Theme, Tone, and Intrigue:

Unlike foreshadowing, refrain does more than create a memorable line, or just hint at something to come, it points to your theme, or at least a theme in your story.

Sometimes, it’s used to deepen our emotional understanding of a character, story, or theme. Other times, it helps unify the story, in other words, pull the narrative together as a cohesive whole.

For example, in one of my favorite Netflix series, The Last Kingdom, throughout the series, the introduction has the main character, Uhtred, narrate and repeat:

“Destiny is all.”

That single phrase acts as a verbal refrain at the introduction and even throughout the story, reminding us of the central theme: Is free will really a thing? In other words, fate vs. free will in a world where weird stuff happens.

Uhtred believes he’s destined to reclaim Bebbanburg, the ancestral home he lost as a child. That belief shapes every decision he makes, and the repetition of “Destiny is all” reminds the audience of his mindset and belief in destiny, which also continuously points to the goal of the story: Bebbanburg.

Without that refrain, the theme might easily fade into the background.

Refrain Through Symbols and Scenes…

Refrain doesn’t always need to be verbal. It can also come in the form of repeated symbols, imagery, or scenes, which brings us into the territory of what’s called a motif (something we’ll explore in more detail next week).

For instance:

Money keeps appearing in a story. Characters talk about it, fight over it, and chase it, like in the Netflix series, Squid Game. The ball of money hanging from the ceiling during and at the end of each episode creates a refrain. It points to a theme of greed, power, and survival. Put another way… unleashed capitalism turning into an Oligarchy.

If a character keeps ending up at the same bar, no matter how far they travel or how much they try to change, that scene itself becomes a refrain, symbolizing the self-destruction of alcohol, escape, or loneliness.

Why Use Refrain as a Literary Device?

Refrain does three key things for your story:

1. Deepens Meaning: When a line or symbol keeps returning, readers know that this matters, and they should pay attention.

2. Establishes Theme: The repeated element can point to a central theme in your story.

3. Builds Emotion: Just like a chorus in a song or Ancient Greek play, refrain gives the reader something to think about and feel again… and again… and again.

Coming Up Next: Motif

If you’re familiar with motif, you may be wondering what the difference between refrain and motif is. It sure does sound the same.

Well, you’re right. To create a motif, you use refrain. Motif is simply the repeated element. And the element of motif can be through words, actions, or symbols. Refrain is the tool, the action to create the motif.

A motif can become a refrain. And a refrain helps reveal your motif.

Next week, we’ll dig deeper into how motifs work across an entire narrative. They build mood, hence emotion; they build character, hence emotion; and they build theme, hence emotional truth.

So Refrain is the song beneath your story.

Happy Writing!

~M.C. Convery