Epanalepsis

Techniques > Use of language > Figures of speech > Epanalepsis

Method | Example | Discussion | See also

Description

Epanalepsis is the repetition of a word or words at both the beginning and end of a sentence or clause.

Example

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Buy this car and you'll be glad you decided to buy this today.

The king is dead; long live the king!

A question for which there is no answer is still a question, but an answer for which there is no question is no answer.

Discussion

Repeated words do not have to be exactly at the start and end and a word or two outside them still creates epanalepsis.

Repetition is a form of emphasis, and repeating final words thus acts to hammer home something at the beginning.

Words at the beginning are more memorable due to the primacy effect, whilst words at the end are remembered more often due to the recency effect. Repeating the same words at the start and at the end thus has a 'double whammie' amplification.

Chiasmus is related as it is 'nested double-epanalepses'.

Classification: Repetition, Amplification