Anaphora — English definition
Defined in 2 courses:
- The deliberate repetition of the same word or phrase at the start of successive clauses or sentences, used to build rhythm and drive a point home. (English 10: Choices, Conscience & Consequences)
- The repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses ('we shall fight... we shall fight...') to build rhythm and emphasis. (English 12: Complex Texts, Independent Inquiry & Public Voice)
Where it is taught
- Syntax & Rhetorical Style — Language, Style & Conventions, English 10: Choices, Conscience & Consequences, Grade 10
- Advanced Syntax & Rhetorical Style — Language, Style & Conventions, English 12: Complex Texts, Independent Inquiry & Public Voice, Grade 12
In use
Scale parallelism up beyond a single list and you get anaphora: the same opening words repeated at the head of sentence after sentence.
Syntax & Rhetorical Style
Anaphora repeats the same words at the start of successive clauses — 'We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields' — hammering a single frame until it becomes a drumbeat; its mirror, epistrophe, repeats at the end.
Advanced Syntax & Rhetorical Style
Questions using anaphora
Problem 1
- The crowd was loud, restless, and impatient.
- The verdict shocked the room, and the room fell silent.
- Give them a reason to stay, give them a reason to believe, give them a reason to fight.
- She was tired but determined.
Answer and explanation
Give them a reason to stay, give them a reason to believe, give them a reason to fight.
Anaphora repeats the same opening words across successive clauses; 'Give them a reason to...' begins all three, building rhythm and emphasis. The first choice is a simple list, and the others show no repeated opening.
Problem 2
Answer and explanation
Answers vary; the revision should repeat an opening frame across parallel clauses, for example: 'It needs money to run, it needs teachers who stay, it needs time to prove itself.' Repeating 'It needs...' at the start of each clause turns a plain list into an insistent, building rhythm that emphasizes each requirement in turn.