Refrain
A line or group of lines repeated at intervals throughout a poem or song.
A refrain returns at set points, usually at the end of stanzas, acting like a chorus. Writers use it to reinforce a mood or theme, create rhythm, and let repeated words gather new meaning as the context shifts. Its familiarity can comfort or, when the surroundings darken, unsettle.
Example
The repeated “Nevermore” hardens with each return, its meaning growing bleaker as the speaker’s hope collapses.
The Raven · Edgar Allan Poe
See it in action
Analyses on StoryBites that use refrain: