Which term describes the repetition of a word or phrase at the start of successive clauses or sentences?

Which term describes the repetition of a word or phrase at the start of successive clauses or sentences?

• A. Metaphor
• B. Anaphora
• C. Alliteration
• D. Irony

Answer: (B)

Anaphora is the repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or sentences. This device heightens emphasis and creates a rhythmic, driving momentum in the text. For example, in a famous speech, repeating a phrase at the start of multiple sentences builds a powerful, rallying cadence that sticks in the listener’s mind. Metaphor is a direct comparison between two unlike things; alliteration repeats initial consonant sounds for musical effect but not the exact same word at the start of each clause; irony involves a contrast between appearance and reality or expectation and outcome. Because this helps identify a deliberate repeating word or phrase at the start of successive statements, the term that fits is anaphora.

Anaphora is the repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or sentences. This device heightens emphasis and creates a rhythmic, driving momentum in the text. For example, in a famous speech, repeating a phrase at the start of multiple sentences builds a powerful, rallying cadence that sticks in the listener’s mind. Metaphor is a direct comparison between two unlike things; alliteration repeats initial consonant sounds for musical effect but not the exact same word at the start of each clause; irony involves a contrast between appearance and reality or expectation and outcome. Because this helps identify a deliberate repeating word or phrase at the start of successive statements, the term that fits is anaphora.