epanalepsis
What is Epanalepsis? Definition, Usage, and Literary Examples
Epanalepsis Definition
Epanalepsis (ep-uh-nuh-LEP-sis) is a repetition of the beginning of a sentence or clause at the end of a sentence or clause. The device can be achieved in several ways as the repeated words don’t have to be identically stated, don’t have to be the very first word or words of the sentence, and can occur over two sentences.
The term comes from the Greek epanalipsis and means “repetition” or “to take up again.”
Examples of Epanalepsis
- “The queen is dead; long live the queen!”
- “It doesn’t matter what I do, this class never gets any easier—no matter what I do.”
- “In this situation, we would do well to remember the last time we were in this situation.”
Why Writers Use Epanalepsis
Epanalepsis provides emphasis. Repetition can persuade readers or give the writing an appealing cadence or flow. 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.
Epanalepsis and Other Literary Devices
Epanalepsis vs. Diacope
Diacope and epanalepsis both have repetition, but diacope doesn’t vary in form the way epanalepsis does. With this device, the same initial word or phrase is repeated after up to three intervening words. One notable example of diacope comes up in Shakespeare’s Richard III: “A horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse!”
Epanalepsis vs. Epistrophe
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. An example of epistrophe is as follows: “My focus is art. My drive is art. My life is art.”
Epanalepsis vs. Anaphora
An anaphora is the repetition of a word or sequence of words at the beginning of a series of sentences or phrases. An example of anaphora is as follows: “Art is my focus. Art is my drive. Art is my life.”
Epanalepsis vs. Chiasmus
Chiasmus is the repetition of words in the opposing order. An example would be as follows: “It was Lucy who copied from Victor, not Victor who copied from Lucy.”
Epanalepsis Outside of Literature
As a memorable and persuasive literary device, epanalepsis has made appearances in television, film, and speeches. One common example is the following excerpt from Ralph Nader’s 2000 NAACP speech:
Less than 10 percent of workers in this country in the private sector are unionized. This is the lowest level in 60 years in our country and by far lower than other Western nations. We need also to address the minimum wage and change its name. A minimum wage that is not a livable wage can never be a minimum wage in our country.
Examples of Epanalepsis in Literature
1. William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar
In this excerpt, Shakespeare uses epanalepsis for emphasis:
BRUTUS: Be patient till the last. Romans, countrymen, and lovers! Hear me for my cause, and be silent that you may hear. Believe me for mine honor, and have respect to mine honor that you may believe. [bold for emphasis]
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.
2. Toni Morrison, Beloved
Sethe’s repetition of “Beloved”—a mysterious figure suggested to be the spirit of Sethe’s dead daughter—emphasizes her fixation as Beloved increasingly haunts her mother throughout the novel:
Beloved is mine; she is Beloved. [bold for emphasis]
Further Resources on Epanalepsis
American Rhetoric has an entry on epanalepsis that showcases sources using the device.
The Chief Storyteller offers a brief guide for using epanalepsis effectively.