Answer:
You’re likely familiar with the famous lyrics to Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town.
You better watch out
You better not cry
You better not pout…
One reason the lyrics are easy to remember is because they are an example of a literary device called anaphora, the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of consecutive sentences.
Anaphora adds emphasis and emotion to words, and also makes them more memorable.
Anaphora Definition
Anaphora is the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive phrases, clauses, or sentences. That repetition is intentional and is used to add style and emphasis to text or speech.
Because anaphora affects both meaning and style, you’ll find examples of it in poetry, prose, dialogue, speeches, and song lyrics. It’s a literary device with the power to emphasize meaning, add emotion, and create a sense of rhythm.
Explanation:
Anaphora Meaning
It’s important to remember that the repetition in anaphora is a stylistic choice. Unintentional repetition can make writing dull. Anaphora is intentional. It’s used to add meaning to words.
For example, imagine you’re reading a narrative essay about the writer’s vacation. The paragraph states:
We went to the beach. We went into the ocean. We went to the beachside bar for drinks. We returned to the hotel and took a nap. We went out later and had a fun night.
Is this repetition an example of anaphora? Technically, the answer is yes.
But if the writer is trying to dazzle us with the beauty and excitement of this vacation, the repetition does the opposite. In this case, starting each sentence the same way feels lazy.
But what if the author was trying to convey a sense of boredom? Maybe he found this seemingly relaxing vacation terribly dull and wants to convey that within the tone of his retelling.
Then he’s made an intentional, stylistic choice demonstrating both the definition and purpose of anaphora.
ProWritingAid can help you ensure your repeated words are meaningful through its All Repeats Report. It highlights repeated words and phrases so you can eliminate unintentional repetition that makes your writing dull.
Anaphora Examples
Some of the most famous speeches in history, some of the most well-known works of literature and film, and some of the most memorable song lyrics, include this literary device.
Here are a few examples:
Anaphora in Speeches
In his “I Have a Dream” speech, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. repeated the words “I have a dream” at the start of five consecutive sentences. With each repetition, the intensity of his belief and the inspiration of his words increased.
(See if you can find a second example of anaphora in this excerpt):
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. I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today.
(Second example: sweltering with)
In his “We Shall Fight on the Beaches” speech, Winston Churchill uses anaphora to inspire commitment and emphasize his belief in the battle against Nazi Germany.
“We shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end. We shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills. We shall never surrender.”
In his 1999 speech at the White House, “The Perils of Indifference” Elie Wiesel uses anaphora to emphasize the meaning and effect of indifference.
Indifference elicits no response. Indifference is not a response. Indifference is not a beginning; it is an end.
