Definition

Noun: A rhetorical device in which the same word or phrase is repeated after intervening words, typically at the beginning and end of a clause or sentence. It is used to create emphasis, symmetry, or a memorable effect.

Usage

Epanalepsis is used in formal writing, oratory, and literature to highlight a key concept by framing a statement with the same words. It draws the listener's or reader's attention back to the initial idea, reinforcing it.

Examples

• "The king is dead, long live the king."
• "Nothing will come of nothing." (William Shakespeare, )
• "In times like these, it is helpful to remember that there have always been times like these."

Advanced Usage

Epanalepsis can be combined with other rhetorical figures, such as chiasmus or parallelism, to create more complex and powerful structures. Its effectiveness lies in the deliberate circularity and closure it provides to a thought.

Variants and Related Words

• Epanaleptic (adjective): Of or relating to epanalepsis.
  • The poet's epanaleptic style made his verses particularly resonant.

Synonyms

• Repetition
• Reduplication (in a rhetorical context)

Antonyms

• Ellipsis (the omission of words)
• Brevity (conciseness of expression)

Related Rhetorical Devices

• Anadiplosis: Repetition of the last word of one clause at the beginning of the next.
• Epistrophe: Repetition of a word or phrase at the end of successive clauses.
• Anaphora: Repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses.

Noun

1. repetition after intervening words