LauraM Posted September 25, 2013 Report Share Posted September 25, 2013 Anaphora is a rhetorical device. It is the repetition of an opening phrase in successive sentences. You may have seen this before. It can be a very powerful technique both in public speaking and in the written word to build emotional tension and/or set a mood. Here' are a couple of famous examples from literature:"It rained on his lousy tombstone, and it rained on the grass on his stomach. It rained all over the place."From "The Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair. "From "A Tale of Two Cities" by Charles Dickens Can you think of some examples of anaphora? Some original sentences in which you use this device? Or do you have any favorite passages from literature or speeches that you would like to share as examples? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thekernel Posted September 26, 2013 Report Share Posted September 26, 2013 Song lyrics use recurring motifs like these to reinforce themes all the time. Think of the final verse from Pink Floyd's "Dogs":Who was born in a house full of painWho was trained not to spit in the fanWho was told what to do by the manWho was broken by trained personnelWho was fitted with collar and chainWho was given a pat on the backWho was breaking away from the packWho was only a stranger at homeWho was ground down in the endWho was found dead on the phoneWho was dragged down by the stoneIt's the best example I can think of off-hand as the repetition is continuous throughout, whereas other songs might have one or two repeating lines in succession. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alfonso Posted September 27, 2013 Report Share Posted September 27, 2013 Interesting topic, I never knew their was a term for that. I'm not sure but is "we came, we saw, we conquered" an anaphora? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosa Posted June 26, 2014 Report Share Posted June 26, 2014 One anaphora which comes to mind is the lines which begin, Let freedom ring,which comes from Martin Luther King Jr.'s speech, I have a dream. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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