But Racine triumphed over his limitations. He subtly relieved the regularity of the versification by occasionally dividing his lines into three parts, or giving one half of a line to one character and the rest to his interlocutor. With similar dramatic effect, he often evokes a startling contrast within the two halves of a single line, for example: "Ah! je l'ai trop aimé pour ne le point hair" ("I loved her too much not to hate her"). Racine also uses repeated or subtly shifting vowel and consonant sounds to establish a mood and exploits the melody of the language to such an extent that his dialogue is sometimes pure music.
Above all, the secret of Racine's effectiveness lies in his profundity. Where the thought is deep enough, the observation sufficiently original, the simplest language is far more effective than adornment. The thought becomes invested with an importance transcending by far its surface banality. For some writers, economy can be a spur to greater creativity. Just as some poets find a challenge in the discipline of the sonnet, Racine discovered unexpected resources within the limits of the classical vocabulary. He made of it an instrument of vast possibilities, faithfully expressing the complexities of the human heart.
