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Epistrophe

Rhetorical Devices
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Epistrophe is the repetition of a word or phrase at the end of successive lines, clauses, or sentences. It emphasizes a concluding idea and creates a resonant rhythm.

Detailed Definition
Epistrophe, also called epiphora, repeats the same word or phrase at the ends of nearby units of speech or verse. Because endings naturally carry emphasis, the device gives a repeated term special weight and leaves it echoing in the reader's mind. In poetry, epistrophe can establish rhyme-like recurrence without using end rhyme, intensify a refrain, or show an emotion returning despite changing circumstances. It is especially effective when each line develops a new thought that arrives at the same charged conclusion.
Example
Example in poetry:
“Where now? Who now? When now?” from Samuel Beckett; “I have waited for the rain, prayed for the rain, sung for the rain”; “They searched in the river, called in the river, wept in the river”; “No shelter in the woods, no comfort in the woods, no mercy in the woods”
Additional Notes
Epistrophe gives endings special weight by repeating the same word or phrase across successive units. It can create a refrain-like cadence and make varied statements converge on one concern. Pairing it with anaphora produces symploce, which repeats language at both beginnings and endings.
Other Meanings of “Epistrophe”
Also Known As
End Repetition Terminal Repetition Sentence-Ending Refrain Epiphora
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