As a concept, prolepsis — from the Greek “prolambanein, meaning “to take beforehand” — can be used in a few ways. For example, a poet might use it to introduce a topic before it’s fully addressed. In Encyclopaedia Britannica’s explanation of the topic, John Keats’ “Isabella” is used as an example. Prolepsis anticipates an assassination: “​​So the two brothers and their murdered man / Rode past fair Florence.” Prolepsis can also be used as a rhetorical device — a debater may use it to address an argument before it’s raised by the other party.