Antistrophe - Academic Mode

Definition of Antistrophe
Antistrophe is a derivative of a Greek word that means "to return". It is a rhetorical device in which the same words are repeated at the end of consecutive sentences, clauses, sentences and paragraphs. As in the following excerpt, the phrase “but it is not that day” is repeated at the end:

“A day may come when people fail in courage when we leave our friends and break all bonds of community. But it's not that day. An hour of wolves and shattered shields when the age of men collapses! But it's not that day! On this day we fight! “

(The Return of the King, by J. Tolkien)

Similarity to Epistrophe
Antistrophe is similar to Epistrophe, in which words are also repeated at the end of successive clauses or sentences. it is opposite to anaphora, a repetition of words at the beginning of sentences or sentences.

Examples of Antistrophe in Literature
Example # 1: The Holy Bible, 1 Corinthians 13:11 (By the Apostle Paul)
“When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I understood like a child, I thought like a child; but when I became a man, I put aside the things of a child ... ”

This extract is one of the examples of antistrophe found in the Holy Bible. The phrase “as a child” is repeated several times at the end of the sentences. This creates rhythm in

Example # 2: The soul of man and prison writings (By Oscar Wilde)
"Selfishness is not living as one wishes to live. It is asking others to live as one wishes to live ..."

In In this example, the recurring phrase "as one wishes to live" creates rhythm and cadence in the text, and therefore appeals to the emotions of the readers.

Example # 3: The Grapes of Wrath (by John Steinbeck)
"So I'll be all around in the dark. I'll be anywhere, wherever you look. Wherever there's a fight so hungry people can eat, I'll be there. Wherever there's a cop beating up a guy, I'll be there .. And when our people eat the things they raise and 'live in the houses they build - well, I'll be there ... "

The repeated use of" I'll be there "emphasizes and draws the attention of readers on the phrase

Example # 4: The Tempest (By William Shakespeare)
“May the joys of every hour they are still with you! Juno sings her blessings over you ... Scarcity and misery will spare you, Ceres's blessing is also with you ... ”

Shakespeare has used this device frequently in his plays, which can also be clearly seen here.

# 5: The Holy Bible, Deuteronomy 32:10 (By the prophet Moses)
“In a desert land he found him, in a barren and howling desert. She protected and cared for him; protected him like the apple of his eye ... ”

Again, in this case from the Bible, a word is repeated at the end of sentences to create a pattern and emphasize it.

Example # 6: Gift from the sea (By Anne Morrow Lindbergh)
“Perhaps this is the most important thing that I can recover from life on the beach: simply the memory that each cycle of the tide is valid, each cycle of the wave is valid, each cycle of a relationship is valid… Relationships they must be like islands, one must accept them for what they are here and now, within their limits: islands, surrounded and interrupted by the sea ... ”

Examples of antistrophe like the excerpt above draw readers to focus on words repeated and their meanings. The main function of this rhetorical device is to emphasize a particular thought or idea. The repetition of words helps to make the text pleasant to read. In addition to poetry, this is a rhetorical device found in a variety of works, such as music, literature, political speeches, and sacred texts like the Bible to highlight a point or idea. The pattern and rhythm created with the use of antistrophe allows writers to appeal to readers' emotions and helps them better appreciate a text.