The anaphora is a figure of speech that is closely related to the syntactic construction of the text. For this reason, it is called syntax figure.
Anaphora occurs through the repetition of terms at the beginning of sentences (or verses). It is a stylistic resource often used by writers in the construction of verses in order to intensify an expression.
In addition to the anaphora, other syntax figures are: a Ellipse, a zeugma, O hyperbatic, a silepsis, O asyndeton, O polysyndeton, O anacolutton it's the pleonasm.
Examples
Anaphora is widely used in poetry, music and advertising. See below for some examples:
Anaphora in Music
"É the stick, é the rock, é the end of the way
É a remnant of stump, é a little alone
É a shard of glass, é life, é the sun
É in the evening, é the death, é a tie, é the hook
É peroba in the field, é the knot of wood"
(Excerpt from the song “March waters” by Tom Jobim)
Anaphora in Literature
"It's needed marry John,
it's needed bear, Antonio,
it's needed hate Melquiades
it's needed replace us all.
It's needed save the country,
it's needed believe in God,
it's needed pay the debts,
it's needed buy a radio,
it's needed forget about so-and-so.
It's needed study volapuk,
it's needed always be drunk,
it's needed read Baudelaire,
it's needed pick the flowers
that old authors pray.
It's needed live with men
it's needed not murder them,
it's needed have pale hands
and announce THE END OF THE WORLD."
(“Necessity Poem” by Carlos Drummond de Andrade)
Anaphora in Advertising
"OK in fashion. OK in hand, OK at C&A." (C&A Advertising - clothing store)
Anaphora and Cataphor: Differences
In addition to the anaphora figure of speech, we also have the anaphora as a mechanism for textual cohesion.
In this case, it takes up a textual component, that is, it makes reference to information that had already been mentioned in the text. It can be called an anaphoric element.
In turn, cataphor anticipates a textual component, being called cataphoric element.
Understand these concepts better by reading the article: Cohesion and Coherence.
Want to know more about figures of speech? Access the articles:
- Figures of Language
- Thought Figures
- Word Pictures
- Syntax figures
- Sound Figures