What is Anaphora in literature?
Anaphora is a literary device in which a word or group of words is repeated at the beginning of successive sentences, clauses or phrases. It is often used for rhetorical or dramatic effect, and can create a sense of emphasis, rhythm, and momentum.
Anaphora is commonly used in speeches, poetry, and prose to create a sense of urgency, repetition, and emotional impact. It can be used to emphasize a particular idea or theme, or to create a sense of continuity or progression in a text.
Examples of anaphora
Anaphora can be found in Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech. In this speech, King repeats the phrase “I have a dream” at the beginning of several successive sentences, creating a powerful rhetorical effect that emphasizes his vision for a more just and equal society.
Another example of anaphora can be found in Charles Dickens’ “A Tale of Two Cities.” In this novel, Dickens uses the repetition of the phrase “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times” to create a sense of contrast and duality, and to set the tone for the themes and conflicts that will unfold throughout the story.
