Fiducia TogetherRepetition and anaphora
Saying it again on purpose, and repeating the opening of successive lines.
Please note: This page explains a word or a process in education. It is general information about the system, the law and the guidance in England — not advice about your child, your school or your exam. If a decision is going against you, get advice from one of the free services we link to before you agree to anything or miss a deadline. If you are revising, check your own exam board's specification: boards word things differently and yours is the one that marks you.
What it is
Repetition repeats a word or phrase for effect. Anaphora repeats the same opening across successive clauses or lines. Epistrophe repeats an ending.
Where it applies
Poetry, prose, speeches and persuasive writing.
How it works
Repetition creates emphasis, rhythm and sometimes entrapment — a repeated phrase can feel like something the speaker cannot escape.
Anaphora builds momentum, which is why it is a staple of political speech.
How to use it in your work
Say what the repetition DOES rather than that it emphasises. Insistence, obsession, monotony and incantation are different effects.
Count the repetitions and say where they stop. A pattern broken at the end is usually the point.
Where to get help
Your teacher and your board's specification and mark scheme.
Revise this with a song
These are ours. We write revision songs because a lot of people remember a tune when they cannot remember a page, and because revising out loud in the kitchen beats staring at a highlighter.
- The English Exam Survival Song How to approach the English papers under time pressure.
Where to read more
Last reviewed 2026-08-28 by Fiducia Together · Next review due 2027-08-28
Please note: This page explains a word or a process in education. It is general information about the system, the law and the guidance in England — not advice about your child, your school or your exam. If a decision is going against you, get advice from one of the free services we link to before you agree to anything or miss a deadline. If you are revising, check your own exam board's specification: boards word things differently and yours is the one that marks you.