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Symploce

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

Symploce combines anaphora and epistrophe by repeating words or phrases at both the beginnings and endings of successive clauses or lines. The pattern creates strong balance and emphasis.

Detailed Definition
Symploce is a structured form of repetition in which the opening words and the closing words of successive phrases remain the same while the middle changes. This framing device can make a poem sound formal, persuasive, or incantatory. Poets use it to compare situations, build an argument, and show how varied experiences are enclosed by a single condition or feeling. The repeated beginning launches each unit with familiarity, while the repeated ending delivers a steady, memorable emphasis.
Example
Example in poetry:
“When night comes, I remember your name, when dawn comes, I remember your name” repeats the opening and ending; “In the city I searched for peace, in the desert I searched for peace” frames both clauses with repetition; “Let the rain forgive us now, let the wind forgive us now” repeats both beginning and conclusion; “We were afraid of silence then, we are afraid of silence now” uses matching first and last phrases
Additional Notes
Symploce combines the framing force of anaphora with epistrophe: repeated openings establish a pattern, while repeated endings make each unit return to a shared conclusion. It works particularly well in speeches, refrains, and parallel stanzas. Vary the middle of each clause so repetition produces development rather than monotony. The device can create a sense of inevitability, argument, or communal chant.
Other Meanings of “Symploce”
Also Known As
Combined Anaphora and Epistrophe Envelope Repetition Beginning-and-End Refrain Symmetrical Repetition
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