Let it land. Let it linger. Let it echo.
You’ve just experienced anaphora. While your high school English teacher may have scolded you for repetition, anaphora proves that sometimes breaking the rules creates the most memorable writing.
What Is This Fancy-Sounding Device?
Anaphora occurs when writers or speakers deliberately repeat words or phrases at the beginning of successive clauses or sentences.
Remember Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech? Of course you do, and largely because of anaphora:
“I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up…
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia…
I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi…”
King wasn’t being repetitive because he ran out of words. He was hammering home a vision with each rhythmic repetition.
Why You Can’t Help But Love It
Anaphora works because our brains are wired for patterns. Each repetition creates…
- rhythm that feels almost musical
- emphasis that grows stronger with each iteration
- emotional resonance that builds like a wave
- memorability that sticks long after the reading
Charles Dickens knew this when he wrote, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness…” He was creating a pendulum of opposites that still swings in readers’ minds centuries later.
Not Just for Literary Snobs
Anaphora isn’t just for dusty classics and political speeches. It’s everywhere:
In advertising: “Maybe she’s born with it. Maybe it’s Maybelline.”
In business: “No shirt, no shoes, no service.”
In everyday wisdom: “Easy come, easy go.”
Anaphora vs. Parallelism
Parallelism and anaphora are like cousins in the world of writing—they’re related, but they don’t do exactly the same thing. Parallelism is all about balance. Think of it as giving your sentences rhythm and symmetry, whether you’re showing how things match or clash.
Anaphora, on the other hand, is a specific kind of repetition—it repeats the same word or phrase at the beginning of consecutive sentences or clauses. So, while parallelism can include anaphora, it’s more of a structural tool. Anaphora? It’s all about the echo at the start of each line.
How to Wield This Power
Want to try anaphora in your own writing? Remember these tips:
- Choose words worth repeating. Pick powerful phrases that deserve emphasis.
- Don’t overdo it. Three to five repetitions usually hit the sweet spot.
- Create a rhythm. Anaphora should feel musical, not mechanical.
Whether you’re writing a wedding toast, a college essay, or a graduation speech, remember: Anaphora creates impact. Anaphora builds momentum. Anaphora might just be the literary device you’ve been looking for all along.