Anaphora

Definition of Anaphora
In writing or speaking, the deliberate repetition of the first part of speech to achieve artistic effect is known as Anaphora.

Anaphora, possibly the oldest literary device, has its roots in the biblical Psalms used to emphasize certain words or phrases. Gradually, Elizabethan and Romantic writers put this device into practice. Examine the following psalm:

“O LORD, do not rebuke me in your anger, Nor punish me in your anger.
Have mercy on me, O LORD; because I am weak: Lord, heal me; because my bones are afflicted.
My soul is also afflicted; But you, O LORD, how long? ”

The repetition of the phrase“ Oh Lord ”, tries to create a spiritual feeling. This is anaphora.

Common Anaphora Examples
It is common to use anaphora in our daily speech, to emphasize the idea we want to convey or for self-affirmation. The following are examples of anaphora:

“Every day, every night, in every way, I am getting better and better. "
" My life is my purpose. My life is my goal. My life is my inspiration. "
" Buying diapers for the baby, feeding the baby, playing with the baby - this is what your life is like when you have a baby. "
" I want my money right now, right here, okay? ”
“ The wrong person was selected for the wrong job, at the wrong time, for the wrong purpose. "
" his property was sold, his property was sold, and everything was sold for misery.
“Who is to blame, who to look at, who to turn to, in a difficult situation like this”.
"In adversity, his close friends abandoned him, his closest companions left him, and his best close relatives left him."
“Everything seemed dark and gloomy, everything seemed gloomy and everything was under a blanket of fog. ”
“ All the people were moving in the same direction; all the people were thinking the same thing; and all the people were discussing the same topic. "
"After a long period of study, the students wanted to go home, they wanted to play, and they wanted to meet their parents and friends."
“The players were very excited for the tour; the players wanted to do a lot of shopping; the players planned to go sightseeing. ”
“ The young writer received the best seller award from him. The young writer was excited to receive the reward, and he decided to celebrate the occasion in the right way.
"Tell them to be nice, tell them to follow their elders and tell them to be careful with their manners."
"The young athlete wore a decent uniform and wanted to perform very well."
"My mother really liked the house, but she couldn't buy it."
"An apple fell on the head of a peasant, but he could not understand the laws of motion."
“The search party barely reached the middle of the desert when a storm hit it. "
" The film was based on a true story, but failed to attract the attention of viewers. "
Examples of anaphora in literature
Example # 1: Richard II, act 2, scene 1 (by William Shakespeare)
"This blessed plot, this land, this kingdom, this England,
This nurse, this womb full of royal kings [.]
This land of so dear souls, this dear dear land"

Here, Shakespeare does not disappoint us in use of the anaphora. The word "this" creates an emotional effect on readers, particularly those who are English. In addition, it highlights the meaning of England. The repetition of the word "dear" shows the writer's emotional attachment to the land, and hopes to elicit a similar response from readers as well.

Example # 2: A Tale of Two Cities (By Charles Dickens)
“It was the best of times It was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the age of faith, it was the age of disbelief, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, It was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair ”.

The repetitive structure used in the previous lines makes it the most memorable and remarkable beginning of a narrative ever achieved by a writer. The word "it" - repeated throughout the passage - makes the reader focus more on the traits of the "age" that he is reading about.

Example # 3: Tintern Abbey (by William Wordsworth)
This technique is used by William Wordsworth in “Tintern Abbey”:

“Five years have passed,
Five summers, with
Five long winters! and again I hear these waters… ”

Wordsworth also uses the anaphora technique in this piece. The repetition of the word “five” at the beginning of each line gives the lines a melody that goes well with their nostalgic tone.

Example 4: The Tyger (By William Blake)
“What the heck? What the chain?
In which oven was your brain?
What is the anvil? The query "What" creates a rhythm that evokes the effect of aw

Anapest Antagonist