However closely we live together, at whatever time of day or night sound the deepest thoughts in one another, we know nothing. Epanalepsis is a versatile tool found in both poetry and prose. It's used to draw attention to words or concepts, create a sense of musicality and rhythm, and give the pleasing sound that comes with carefully arranged repetition. In this line from Beloved , Sethe invokes her daughter Beloved's name twice within a just few words.
Beloved is mine; she is Beloved. This epanalepsis helps illustrate the enormous space Beloved occupies in her mother's mind. The degree of Sethe's focus on and obsession with Beloved is emphasized even more by the brevity of the sentence, and therefore the proximity of the repeated name.
In her short story Runaway , Alice Munro uses epanalepsis subtly, in a single, commonplace word: "you. Few people, very few, have a treasure, and if you do you must hang on to it. You must not let yourself be waylaid, and have it taken from you.
The repetition of the "you" draws the reader personally into the story, makes the reader feel what it is like to have a treasure, and the urgency of making sure no one takes it from you.
In this example from King Lear , King Lear stands outside, shouting at a terrible storm. The repetition of the word Blow at the start of one sentence and the end of the next adds to the sense of thundering chaos, which captures both the power of the storm but also Lear's own growing madness. Blow winds and crack your cheeks!
Rage, blow! Here, even though "blow" appears in two separate sentences, it's still epanalepsis—the second sentence, being a brief fragment, still functions as an extension of the first. In this poem, Alexie uses epanalepsis to explore the pain and incomprehensibility of suicide. Although the speaker acknowledges he couldn't have persuaded this unnamed person to stay alive, he nonetheless poses an argument against the suicide, as if trying to revise the past.
I know, I know, I know, I know, I know That I could not have convinced you of this But these dark times are just like those dark times. Yes, my sad acquaintance, each dark time is. Here, repeating the phrase "dark time" in two separate sentences invites the reader to really think about the meaning—what exactly is a "dark time," and does it justify such an extreme action?
Further, epanalepsis helps show the speaker's emotion and perhaps fatigue—the choise to use repetition, rather than search for a new word, betrays a type of weariness.
Repetition is essential to most song lyrics, and epanalepsis is sometimes used in refrains or to repeat a song's key message. This song by the Eagles makes a good case for epanalepsis' power to help a phrase stick in memory. The words "take it easy," which frame this stanza, contain the song's main message, and together constitute the line we're most likely to sing in the shower.
Take it easy , take it easy Don't let the sound of your own wheels Drive you crazy Lighten up while you still can Don't even try to understand Just find a place to make your stand And take it easy.
In this tragic song about a Christmas spent in prison away from a loved one, epanalepsis helps to creates a sense of rhythm that deepens the tone of heartache as the speaker repeatedly calls to a woman who can't hear him. Wait a while eternity Old mother Nature's got nothing on me Come to me , run to me, come to me now. Like many devices that use repetition, epanalepsis is a powerful tool of rhetoric, useful in highlighting a message and dialing up a speech's persuasiveness.
In this excerpt from a speech by Ralph Nader, the repetition of "minimum wage" underscores its role as a major concern in both his speech and his political priorities. A minimum wage that is not a livable wage can never be a minimum wage. Epanalepsis in this case invites the audience to really think about what a minimum wage is and should be.
Further, the juxtaposition of the phrase "livable wage" with the repeated "minimum wage," draws attention to the fact that minimum wages are often not enough to live on—so why are they the minimum? In Allende's last speech as Chilean president, he uses epanalepsis to claim that history is a social process in motion in which people are the key players.
The repetition of "history" within a few words makes it more memorable. History is ours and people make history. The Bible is known for the prodigious amount of repetition that it contains, so it should be no surprise that it is chock full of epanalepsis, as well. This repetition often lends a poetic quality to verses, which also makes them easier to remember and ideal for quoting aloud.
In this famous Bible verse, epanalepsis emphasizes the claim that all of human activity is in vain, both ephemeral and shortsighted.
The repetition shows the Preacher's fervor about the issue. Vanity of Vanities , saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities ; all is vanity. While the repetition of "vanity of vanities" is obviously epanalepsis, the final "vanity" is arguably also a case of epanalepsis, since it repeats the "vanity" at the very beginning of the verse even though it omits the rest of the phrase. This verse clearly shows the impact of the primacy and recency effects: "Rejoice" is the sentence's key word, and it lands both at the start and finish of the verse, sticking in the reader's mind as all-important.
Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. The structure of epanalepsis, which can be formulaic, makes it well-suited for use in aphorisms —which are concise expressions of truth. This is largely because exact repetition makes phrases easier to remember than, say, the use of a synonym would.
Here are some examples of aphorisms that use epanalepsis:. Create a personalised ads profile. Select personalised ads. Apply market research to generate audience insights. Measure content performance. Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. Share Flipboard Email. Richard Nordquist. English and Rhetoric Professor. Richard Nordquist is professor emeritus of rhetoric and English at Georgia Southern University and the author of several university-level grammar and composition textbooks.
Updated January 04, Epanalepsis is a rhetorical term for the repetition of a word or phrase at regular intervals: a refrain. Adjective: epanaleptic. More specifically, epanalepsis may refer to repetition at the end of a clause or sentence of the word or phrase with which it began, as in " Next time there won't be a next time " Phil Leotardo in The Sopranos.
In this sense, epanalepsis is a combination of anaphora and epistrophe. Also known as inclusio. Featured Video. Cite this Article Format. Nordquist, Richard. Definition, Examples of the Rhetorical Term Epanalepsis. Writers may use epanalepsis to stress a key concept in their work, sway the audience to consider their argument, or simply make reading the writing more pleasing.
With this device, the same initial word or phrase is repeated after up to three intervening words. A horse! My kingdom for a horse!
Epistrophe has a particular characteristic that sets it apart from epanalepsis: it repeats the same word or phrase at the end of subsequent sentences, clauses, or phrases rather than taking a word or phrase at the beginning and repeating at the end of the same sentence or clause.
My drive is art. My life is art. An anaphora is the repetition of a word or sequence of words at the beginning of a series of sentences or phrases.
Art is my drive. Art is my life. Chiasmus is the repetition of words in the opposing order. As a memorable and persuasive literary device, epanalepsis has made appearances in television, film, and speeches. William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar. Brutus seeks for his audience to hear and believe his words, and he repeats these two particular words as he asks them to do so.
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