Poetic Terms Dictionary
Figure of Speech

Anaphora

From Greek anaphora: carrying back. One of the oldest rhetorical figures; pervasive in the Psalms, Homer, and throughout world oral poetry.

Definition

Repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive lines, clauses, or stanzas for rhetorical and musical effect.

Example

'We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields…' (Churchill)

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