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Glite Dictionary
epanalepsis

epanalepsis

9.9
A writer repeats a word at the start and end of a sentence to add emphasis
  • noun
  • /ˌɛpəˈnælɪpsɪs/
  • Literature
translation icon : epanalepsis
  • The phrase "The king is dead, long live the king" is an example of epanalepsis in rhetoric.

Examples

  • In his speech, he employed epanalepsis by repeating the same word at the beginning and end of a sentence.

  • Writers often use epanalepsis to add emphasis or create a poetic effect.

  • The term epanalepsis refers to a specific rhetorical device.

  • An example of epanalepsis is found in many literary works.

  • In his speech, he skillfully used epanalepsis to emphasize his point by repeating the phrase at both the start and finish.

  • The famous saying "To err is human; to forgive, divine" exemplifies epanalepsis in its structure.

  • Using epanalepsis, the poet created a striking rhythm by repeating key words at the beginning and end of the stanza.

Surface Forms

epanalepsis singular
epanalepses plural

Etymology

The word epanalepsis comes from Greek parts epan- meaning 'again' and -lepsis meaning 'taking', so it means 'taking up again' and is like the idea 'repeat'. That's why epanalepsis names a kind of repetition where the same word or phrase appears at the beginning and at the end of a sentence to add emphasis.