Epistrophe
Noun
- Repetition of a word or expression at the end of successive phrases, clauses, sentences, or verses especially for rhetorical or poetic effect.
Example Sentences
“Good ad slogans often rely on epistrophe — a repeated word at the end of each line makes it memorable.”
“The coach’s halftime speech was full of epistrophe: ‘You trained for this. You prepared for this. You were born for this.’”
“The assignment was to write an original poem using epistrophe.”
Word Origin
Greek, late 16th century
Why this word?
When President Lincoln proclaimed in the Gettysburg Address “that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth,” he was using epistrophe to hammer home exactly whom government was supposed to serve. Epistrophe is a rhetorical effect in which a word or expression is repeated at the end of successive phrases or clauses. “Epistrophe” comes from the Greek “epistrophē,” meaning “turning about.” The effect can be compared to anaphora, which is the repetition of a word or expression at the beginning of successive phrases.
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