Epistrophe | Meaning, Usage & Examples
Epistrophe is a literary device that involves the repetition of a word or phrase at the end of successive lines or phrases. It is used to draw attention to the words, usually because they are of great significance in the text.
“And I am whatever you say I am
If I wasn’t, then why would I say I am?
In the paper, the news, every day I am
(Ha) I don’t know, that’s just the way I am.”
Epistrophe definition
Epistrophe is the combination of two Greek words, “epi” meaning “upon” and “strophe” meaning “turning.” This idea of “turning upon” in the sense of turning back, or repeating, is reflected in the meaning of epistrophe, where a word or phrase is repeated at the end of a clause, sentence, or line of poetry.
The repetition gives more weight to the repeated words and makes the ideas associated with them easier to remember, especially in speeches and talks. The main effects of epistrophe include:
- Creating rhythm and familiarity
- Giving a sense of urgency or adding emotional weight
- Reinforcing an idea or concept
Anaphora vs epistrophe
Like epistrophe, anaphora involves the repetition of a word or phrase. However, they differ because anaphora is when the repetition is at the beginning of a phrase, sentence, or line, and with epistrophe, the repetition is at the end.
| Anaphora | “Buckets of rain Buckets of tears, Got all them buckets comin’ out of my ears, Buckets of moonbeams in my hand.” —Bob Dylan “Buckets of Rain” |
| Epistrophe | “She takes just like a woman, yes, she does She makes love just like a woman, yes, she does And she aches just like a woman But she breaks just like a little girl.” —Bob Dylan “Just Like a Woman” |
Epistrophe examples
Epistrophe helps to build momentum and rhythm, so it is often found in speeches. It helps to highlight important points, and it helps the listener to remember the points being made.
“I know it can be done. Reason tells me it can be done. The people throughout this movement, who I know in huge majority share all these perceptions and visions and want to give all their energies, they know it can be done.” —Neil Kinnock, speech to the Labour Party conference, 1983
Epistrophe can be found in poetry and song, where it adds both emphasis and rhythm.
And watch the rain fall – watch it – watch it –
Tumble and fall – tumble and falling –
Like our lives – like our lives
Just like our lives.” —The Jam, “Wasteland”
Frequently asked questions about epistrophe
- Is epistrophe the same as anaphora?
-
No, epistrophe is not the same as anaphora, although they both involve repetition.
Anaphora involves the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive lines, phrases, or sentences, especially in poetry, as in this example from T. S. Eliot’s “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock”:
“After the sunsets and the dooryards and the sprinkled streets,
After the novels, after the teacups, after the skirts that trail along the floor—”Epiostrophe also involves repetition of a word or phrase, but in this case it occurs at the end of a line, sentence, or phrase, as in this example also from “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock”:
“Come back to tell you all, I shall tell you all”—
If one, settling a pillow by her head
Should say: ‘That is not what I meant at all;
That is not it, at all.’”You will also find both anaphora and epistrophe in speeches and other rhetorical texts. They help to add emphasis and to make important points more memorable.
- What is an example of epistrophe?
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An example of epistrophe is the following excerpt from a speech by Neil Kinnock, the then leader of the UK’s Labour Party, to the conference in 1983:
“We have got to reason with people; we have got to persuade people … Because you are from the people, because you are of the people …”
Epistrophe is a quite common rhetorical device used in speeches. It is also seen widely in song lyrics and poetry, for example from Eminem’s “The Way I Am:”
“And I am whatever you say I am
If I wasn’t, then why would I say I am?
In the paper, the news, every day I am
(Ha) I don’t know, that’s just the way I am.”In poetry and lyrics, epistrophe not only adds emphasis but can help with rhythm and meter.
- What are figures of repetition?
-
Figures of repetition are a subset of rhetorical devices used to make speeches and texts more persuasive. They include:
- Epistrophe: The repetition of a word or phrase at the end of successive lines or clauses
- Anadiplosis: The repetition of a word from the end of a sentence at the beginning of the next
- Assonance: The repetition of a vowel sound in adjacent words
- Anaphora: The repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive lines or clauses.
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Marshall, T. (2024, December 18). Epistrophe | Meaning, Usage & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved January 20, 2025, from https://www.scribbr.com/rhetoric/epistrophe/
