Sunday, November 24, 2013

Conduplicatio is a literary device that shows up a lot in all sorts of contexts.  An online definition states that Conduplicatio is the technique of repeating key words or phrases in order to drive a point home. An obvious example of Conduplicatio in pop culture can easily be found in Martin Luther King Jr's speech I Have A Dream repetitively states the key word dream in order to create a more powerful affect on the listener. "I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.
I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." Obviously this is an example of conduplicatio. Also, these literary devices can be found in literature. In Into The Wild, there is a conduplicatio used when Chris' sister describes her parents' work habits. "Mom and Dad put in incredibly long hours. When Chris and I woke up in the morning to go to school, they’d be in the office working. When we came home in the afternoon, they’d be in the office working. When we went to bed at night, they’d be in the office working" (Into The Wild Krakauer). Notice the working key word? This is repeated to solidify the concept, thus making it a conduplicatio.