Rhetoric & FiguresAdvanced
Epanalepsis
A word or phrase returns at both the beginning and end of the same unit.
Principle
The repeated frame makes the sentence close on itself.
Takeaways
- It can create closure, irony, emphasis, or fatal circularity.
- The second occurrence should feel altered by what came between.
- It is memorable but conspicuous, so it rewards restraint.
Overview
Epanalepsis repeats an opening word or phrase at the end of a clause, sentence, or line. The figure makes the language feel self-enclosing, often turning a statement into an aphorism or verdict.
Examples
- Nothing frightened him now but nothing.
- Home had taught her the cost of home.