Literary term
Refrain
A line or group of lines repeated at intervals through a poem or song.
What it means
A refrain is a line, phrase or group of lines repeated at regular intervals through a poem or song, often at the end of each stanza. Like a chorus, a refrain gives a poem a strong shape and makes it easy to remember. It usually carries an idea or feeling the writer wants to reinforce.
Because a refrain returns unchanged, or almost unchanged, the reader hears it differently each time as the surrounding poem develops. Its meaning can deepen or darken as the piece goes on.
Why it matters in the exam
In Literature, a refrain is a clear structural feature to write about. The best answers explain how its meaning shifts with each repetition, not just that a line comes back. Examiners reward you for tracing how a returning line builds emphasis, mood or irony across a poem.
It is a reliable route into discussing structure and the cumulative effect of repetition.
Example
A poem about waiting might end every stanza with the line the train has still not come. The repeated words grow heavier and more hopeless each time.
How to use it
Identify the repeated line and track how the poem around it changes. Then explain how the refrain feels different on its later appearances. Comment on emphasis, mood or irony.
Avoid simply saying the line is repeated. The marks come from showing how repetition builds meaning and shapes the reader's growing response to the poem.
Knowing the term is the first step. In a paid one-hour trial, a teacher helps your child use "Refrain" accurately in an answer.