Definition · Plain-language
Anaphora
Anaphora is a rhetorical device in which the same word or phrase is repeated at the beginning of successive clauses, sentences or lines.
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How anaphora works
Anaphora builds its effect through repetition at the opening position, which is the strongest point in a phrase. Each repeated word or phrase hammers home the same idea, creating a cumulative emphasis that a single statement cannot achieve. The repeated opening acts as an anchor, while the rest of each clause adds new content, so the device simultaneously creates unity (through the repeated element) and variety (through the changing conclusion). The rhythm produced — insistent, incantatory — makes anaphora especially effective in oratory and poetry, where emotional and persuasive force are paramount.
Anaphora in oratory and literature
The most celebrated modern example is Martin Luther King Jr's "I have a dream" speech (1963), in which the opening phrase is repeated with variations to build to a crescendo of aspiration. Winston Churchill used anaphora in his wartime speech: "We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets." The Bible uses it extensively, particularly in the Psalms and the Beatitudes ("Blessed are the meek… Blessed are the pure in heart…"). Shakespeare deploys it across many plays: "Mad world, mad kings, mad composition!" (King John).
Anaphora, epistrophe and symploce
Three closely related devices are distinguished by position. Anaphora repeats at the beginning of clauses. Epistrophe (or epiphora) repeats at the end, as in Lincoln's phrase "government of the people, by the people, for the people". Symploce combines both, repeating at the beginning and end of successive clauses. Anaphora is the most common of the three in both oratory and poetry, because the opening position carries the greatest emphasis. Knowing these distinctions allows precise identification of rhetorical technique in any persuasive text.
Key facts
At a glance
- Definition: repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses
- Contrast: epistrophe repeats at the end; symploce repeats at both ends
- Purpose: emphasis, rhythm, emotional and persuasive force
- Famous example: MLK Jr's "I have a dream" (1963)
- Also used in: Churchill's WWII speeches; the Psalms; Shakespeare
- Effect: incantatory rhythm and cumulative power
- Dickens example: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…"
Common misconceptions
What people often get wrong
Often heard: Anaphora is the same as simple repetition.
Actually: Anaphora is a specific form of repetition: the repeated word or phrase must appear at the beginning of successive clauses. Repetition anywhere in a phrase or at the end of clauses is a different device — consonance, epistrophe or refrain depending on position and context.
Often heard: Anaphora is only a rhetorical device used in speeches.
Actually: While prominent in oratory, anaphora is also used in poetry, prose and song lyrics. It appears in the Psalms, in Dickens's prose, in Walt Whitman's poetry and across literary traditions worldwide.
Often heard: Anaphora and epistrophe are the same device.
Actually: Anaphora repeats at the beginning of clauses; epistrophe repeats at the end. Both are forms of structural repetition, but they create slightly different rhythmic and emphatic effects. Lincoln's "of the people, by the people, for the people" is epistrophe, not anaphora.
Common questions
FAQ
What is the difference between anaphora and parallelism?+
Parallelism is the broader principle of using the same grammatical structure in successive clauses. Anaphora is a specific form of parallelism that also requires the same word or phrase to be repeated at the opening. All anaphora is parallel, but not all parallelism is anaphora — parallel structures can vary their opening words.
Why is anaphora so effective in speeches?+
Anaphora works in oratory because the insistent repetition of an opening phrase drives a point home with cumulative force, builds rhythm that audiences can anticipate and respond to emotionally, and creates memorable sound patterns. The repeated phrase becomes an emotional anchor, making the speech easier to recall and the argument more persuasive.
What is epistrophe?+
Epistrophe (also called epiphora) is the counterpart of anaphora: it repeats the same word or phrase at the end of successive clauses. Abraham Lincoln's "government of the people, by the people, for the people" closes each phrase with "people", making it an epistrophe. Combined with anaphora, epistrophe creates symploce.
