1. Stein uses repetition as a type of rhythm. She paces the essay through repeated phrases, and will occasionally break the rhythm with a declarative statement. How does the repetition impact the reader?
The repetition that Stein utilizes throughout her essay impacts the reader in various ways. One way is that it adds emphasis within the sentence or group of sentences. It brings the reader’s attention to that one repeated word or phrase, such as the word “interesting” in the first part of the second paragraph. It warns the reader that there is a new idea coming up, another statement that Stein wants to make. Therefore, reusing a word or phrase adds emphasis and forces the reader to pay attention to what Stein has to say.
The repetition can also impact the reader by turning the essay into a more natural form of speech. I don’t know about you, but when I read certain essays, I feel that it’s not natural. It does not reflect how the author really talks. Also, when people speak, they repeat certain phrases over and over again unconsciously. When Stein repeats words and phrases constantly through her essay, the reader is able to read it almost like natural conversation.
Another interesting aspect of Stein’s writing is how she puts a declarative sentence after a run-on sentence. She does this a lot throughout this particular composition. For example, in the second paragraph, Stein writes, “It is very likely that nearly every one has been very nearly certain that something that is interesting is interesting them. Can they and do they”. That one sentence “Can they and do they” acts a pause between thoughts. It helps the reader to just stop reading that previous thought and realize what they had read. The reader must go back and read, in order to make complete sense of the statements that Stein wrote. Stein continues to do this for the rest of the composition, in order to ask the reader to question what they had read so far.
You made me think about how interesting this would be to map; if we could turn this into musical notes, I wonder if we would find a deliberate pattern: verse, bridge, chorus….???
I also found that in Stein’s writing she would insert sentences with a short syntax to break it up and put an emphasis on a certain thought. I definitely think this was an effective technique and a good point that you noticed. Would you say that the biggest impact this rhythm has is just pausing to get the reader to think?