Epistrophe

Photo of the Gettysburg Address where Abraham Lincoln where he used epistrophe when he said "... and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."

Epistrophe (Greek: ἐπιστροφή, "return") is the repetition of the same word or words at the end of successive phrases, clauses, or sentences. It is also known as epiphora, antistrophe, or conversio. It is a figure of speech and the counterpart of anaphora. It is an extremely emphatic device because of the emphasis placed on the last word in a phrase or sentence.

Etymology

Epistrophe comes from Late Latin epistrophe derives from the Greek epistrepho (Greek: ἐπιστροφή; "a turning upon") from epi- (Greek: ἐπι-; "upon") and strepho (Greek: στρέφω; "to turn").

Rhetorical use

Epistrophe involves the repetition of the same phrase at the end of successive clauses. The device is often used to develop rhythm and momentum. While used in poetry, epistrophe is a staple feature of the periodic style.

Epistrophe emphasizes the repeated phrase via both repetition and placing it at the end of a clause, often giving a sense of urgency or providing emotional weight. The trope often emphasizes the inability to escape a certain trend; a "trope of obsession," as Forsyth refers to it. Therefore, epistrophe is often suitable to encapsulate themes focused on inevitability such as obsessive love or death.

George Puttenham's definition of an epistrophe (which he calls antistrophe or "counter turn") refers to the repetition of a phrase in the same position (not necessarily at the end) and similar context. He provides the following example with the repetition of love:

She shunnes my loue, and after by a traine
She seekes my loue, and faith she loues me most,
But seing her loue, so lightly wonne and lost:
I longd not for her loue, for well I thought,
Firme is the loue, if it be as it ought.

Other definitions provided to epistrophe may include being made synonymous with anaphora, conduplicatio, or paronomasia. Greek epistrophe is a word coined by Plato as a goal of philosophical education; it was later adopted by early Christians as a word for conversion.

Examples

— Shakespeare, The Tempest (4.1.108–109; 116–17)

In the beginning of this quotation by Barack Obama epistrophe is evoked, while the latter part makes use of anaphora.

See also

References

  1. ↑ George Roberts (schoolmaster.) (1820). A catechism of rhetoric. p. 55. Retrieved 24 September 2013.
  2. 1 2 Bullinger, Ethelbert William (1898). Figures of Speech Used in the Bible. E. & J.B. Young & co. pp. 241–244. ISBN 31924029277047. {{cite book}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)
  3. ↑ "epistrophe". Etymonline. Retrieved October 1, 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  4. 1 2 Corbett, Edward P. J.; Connors, Robert J. (August 6, 1998). Classical Rhetoric for the Modern Student (4th ed.). Oxford University Press. pp. 435–436. ISBN 9780195115420.
  5. 1 2 Marshall, Trevor (December 18, 2024). "Epistrophe". Scribbr. Retrieved September 24, 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  6. ↑ Dupriez, Bernard (1991). A Dictionary of Literary Devices. Translated by Halsall, Albert W. Harvester Wheatsheaf. p. 169. ISBN 0745010555.
  7. ↑ Forsyth, Mark (October 7, 2014). "Epistrophe". The Elements of Eloquence. Berkley Books. pp. 92–97. ISBN 9780425276181.
  8. 1 2 Lanham, Richard A. (1991). A Handlist of Rhetorical Devices (2nd ed.). p. 16. ISBN 9780520273689.
  9. ↑ Puttenham, George (August 3, 2005) [1589]. "Antistrophe, or the Counter turne". The Arte of English Poesie. Project Gutenberg.
  10. ↑ Peters, Gerald (1993). The Mutilating God: Authorship and Authority in the Narrative of Conversion. Amherst, MA: University of Massachusetts Press. p. 3. ISBN 9780870238918.
  11. ↑ Forsyth, Mark (2013). The Elements of Eloquence. ISBN 9780425276181.
  12. ↑ Thompson, Derek (2017-02-07). Hit Makers: How to Succeed in an Age of Distraction. Penguin. p. 89. ISBN 978-1-101-98034-7.