Learn how to use anaphora to enhance your writing.

1. Anaphora
Anaphora
Anaphora
Anaphora
•(AKA: Repetition for Effect) Writers often
repeat specially chosen words or phrases to
emphasize a point or stress certain ideas for
the reader.

2. Definition: Writers often repeat
specially chosen words or
phrases to emphasize a point or
stress certain ideas for the
reader.

3. Examples
• Maybe it’s the way the mountains reach the
clouds, maybe it’s the way the waterfalls dive off
every cliff, maybe it’s the way everything is
peaceful and quiet, or maybe it’s all of that
combined.
• There she was – the perfect date for my first prom.
How lovely she looked in that pink satin gown,
how lovely her hair flowed down onto her bare
shoulders, how lovely her pearl necklace circled
her neck, and how lovely her face shown as she
smiled across the room at me.

4. Be Careful!
• Don’t confuse Magic 3 and Anaphora!
• Magic 3 doesn’t have to repeat the same words just
the same TYPE of words.
• Anaphora MUST repeat the same exact words.
• BE careful of unintentional repetition! (e.g. repeating
the same transition over and over again.)

5. "To raise a happy, healthy, and hopeful
child, it takes a family; it takes teachers; it
takes clergy; it takes business people; it
takes community leaders; it takes those who
protect our health and safety. It takes all of
us."
-- Hillary Clinton, 1996 Democratic
National Convention Address

6. Never shall I forget that night, the first night in camp,
which has turned my life into one long night, seven times
cursed and seven times sealed. Never shall I forget that
smoke. Never shall I forget the little faces of the children,
whose bodies I saw turned into wreaths of smoke beneath
a silent blue sky. Never shall I forget those flames which
consumed my faith forever. Never shall I forget that
nocturnal silence which deprived me, for all eternity, of the
desire to live. Never shall I forget those moments which
murdered my God and my soul and turned my dreams to
dust. Never shall I forget these things, even if I am
condemned to live as long as God Himself. Never.
-Elie Wiesel
Night

7. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,
it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of
foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the
epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it
was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of
hope, it was the winter of despair, we had
everything before us, we had nothing before us,
we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all
going direct the other way …
– — Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities

8. "What we need in the United States is not division.
What we need in the United States is not hatred.
What we need in the United States is not violence
and lawlessness; but is love and wisdom and
compassion toward one another, and a feeling of
justice toward those who still suffer within our
country whether they be white or whether they be
black."
-- Robert F. Kennedy, Announcing the death of
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

9. In your flipbook, make sure you have
recorded the definition and an example of
anaphora. For your original example, revise
the sentence below to include the use of
anaphora. Keep in mind the purpose of
anaphora.
Mom, I am in seventh grade now,
so I deserve the privilege of getting
to stay out later with my friends.

10. In your flipbook, make sure you have
recorded the definition and an example of
anaphora. For your original example, revise
the sentence below to include the use of
anaphora. Keep in mind the purpose of
anaphora.
Mom, I am in seventh grade now,
so I deserve the privilege of getting
to stay out later with my friends.