English Repetition

Anaphora

Repetition of words a the beginning of successive clauses e.g.

“Let freedom ring…”

“Let freedom ring…”

“Let freedom ring…”

Epizeuxis

Repetition of a word or phrase in immediate succession e.g. “Never give in. Never, never, never in life”

Epistophe/Epiphora

Repetition at the end of independent clauses or sentences e.g. “Government of the people, by the people, for the people”

“cause if you liked it then you shoulda put a ring on it. If you liked it then you shoulda put a ring on it”

Negative-Positive Restatement

States an idea twice, first in negative then in positive terms. e.g. “freedom is not given; it is won.” “ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.”

Diacope

Repetition of a single word or phase, separated by intervening words e.g. “ive failed over and over and over again in my life.”

“maybe she’s born with it; maybe it’s Maybeline”

Epanalepsis

Repeats words or phrases at the beginning and the end of the same sentence or clause. e.g. “Control, control, you must learn control”

“Mankind must put an end to war, or war will put an end to mankind”

Epimone

Uses repetition to dwell on a point. Commonly used in stories when a character is commanding or pleading someone to do something. e.g. “I tell you, sir, I am serious! And now that my passions are roused, I say this house is mine, sir; this house is mine and I command you to leave it directly.”

Polyptoton

Repetition of words that derive from the same root word. e.g. “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”

Antistasis

Repetition to contrast two ideas. e.g. “Are you working hard or hardly working?”

Antanaclasis

Repeats the same word or phrase but with a different meaning each time. e.g. “your argument is sound, nothing but sound.”