How to ...

Identify an Anaphora

When You Come Across One in Literature

What is Anaphora?

Anaphora is a powerful literary device that uses repetition at the beginning of consecutive sentences to add emotion and emphasis to your words. This technique is commonly used in literature, poetry, speeches, and song lyrics to create a memorable and impactful effect.

Definition

Anaphora is the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive phrases, clauses, or sentences. This repetition is intentional and is used to add style and emphasis to text or speech.

Purpose and Effect

Anaphora is used to create rhythm, elicit emotions, and encourage audience participation. It is a device that can be used in various forms of writing, including novels, short stories, poetry, essays, and speeches.

The Simpsons (1989) - S18E18 Comedy

Anaphora is used to emphasize a point, create a sense of rhythm, and evoke emotions in the audience. It is a powerful tool for persuasive writing and can be used to make a message more memorable and impactful. For instance, in Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous "I Have a Dream" speech, the repetition of "Now is the time to" creates a sense of urgency and emphasizes the importance of the message:

Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy.

Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice.

Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood.

Examples 

Anaphora is used extensively in literature, speech, movies/TV series and songs to create a powerful and memorable effect. Here are a few examples:

Literature

Charles Dickens' "A Tale of Two Cities": 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, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way—in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.[...] 

Speech

Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous "I Have a Dream" speech:

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.'

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.[...]

Movies/TV series

From House of Cards (2013) - S02E10 Thriller

Songs

As already stated above, in the famous lyrics to "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town," the repetition of "You better" creates a memorable and catchy effect:

You better watch out

You better not cry

You better not pout

In Judy Garland's Academy Award–winning performance of "Over the Rainbow," she paints a picture of a better place in each A section with the title phrase "somewhere over the rainbow." As in King's speech, it conjures a sense of hopeful optimism:

Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high
Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are
blue
Somewhere over the rainbow,
blue birds fly

A Step-by-Step Guide

Ingredients:

• A written passage (literary work, speech, poem, etc.)
• Careful reading skills
• An eye for repetition patterns

Instructions:

1. Read the passage slowly and attentively, focusing on the beginning of each sentence, clause, or line.
2. Look for instances where the same word or phrase is repeated at the start of successive sentences, clauses, or lines.
3. Highlight or underline the repeated words or phrases to make them more visible.
4. Check if the repetition is intentional and serves a rhetorical purpose (e.g., creating rhythm, emphasis, emotional impact).
5. If the repetition meets the criteria in Step 4, you have identified an instance of anaphora.
6. Analyze the context and consider how the anaphoric repetition contributes to the overall meaning, tone, and impact of the passage.
7. Repeat Steps 2-6 for the entire passage to identify all instances of anaphora.