Diacope
Pattern
X ... X — repetition with brief intervening words
Definition
Repetition of a word or phrase with one or a few intervening words, creating emphasis through separation and return.
Examples
Example 1
Bond. James Bond.
Ian Fleming / James Bond films
"Bond" is repeated with "James" intervening, creating one of cinema's most iconic introductions
Example 2
To be, or not to be.
Shakespeare, Hamlet (Act 3, Scene 1)
"Be" is repeated with "or not" intervening, framing existence as the central question
Example 3
Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!
Martin Luther King Jr., 1963
"Free at last" repeats with intervening exclamations, building to a crescendo of liberation
AI Detection Note
Uncommon in AI text. LLMs prefer synonym variation over exact-word repetition, defaulting to 'elegant variation' rather than the deliberate emphasis of diacope.
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