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Initial repetition

Device
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

The repetition of words or phrases at the beginning of successive lines or clauses

Detailed Definition
Initial repetition—also known as anaphora—begins successive lines or stanzas with the same word or phrase to build rhythm, emotional insistence, and rhetorical power; it is especially effective in litany, lament, or prophetic modes, where accumulation through repetition creates a hypnotic or incantatory effect that deepens thematic resonance.
Example
Example in poetry:
Initial repetition begins lines with the same word or phrase, as in Whitman’s “Song of Myself”: “I celebrate myself, and sing myself”; In Ginsberg’s “Howl,” initial repetition: “who poverty and tatters… who sank all night…”; Another: “Again the wind. Again the empty chair. Again your name on my lips”
Additional Notes
Initial repetition begins successive lines or stanzas with the same word or phrase (anaphora), building rhythm and emotional insistence; powerful in litany, lament, or prophetic modes.
Also Known As
Anaphoric opening Prefix refrain Front-loaded echo End-beginning repeat Epanaphora Anaphora
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