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Epiphora in Writing
What Is Epiphora?
Epiphora is a writing technique that involves repeating terms at the back of neighboring clauses or sentences. (NB: Epiphora is also called "epistrophe.")Table of Contents
- Examples of Epiphora
- Other Types of Repetition
- More Examples of Epiphora
- Examples of Epiphora in Songs
- Why Epiphora Is Important
- Printable Test

Examples of Epiphora
Epiphora is deliberately repeating terms at the end of clauses or sentences. For example:- "He spoke with the wisdom that can only come from experience, like a guy who went blind because he looked at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it and now goes around the country speaking at schools about the dangers of looking at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it.
- "She's safe, just like I promised. She's all set to marry Norrington, just like she promised. And you get to die for her, just like you promised." (Jack Sparrow) (Note that the words do not have to be identical. The copied structure is also part of the epiphora.)
Other Types of Repetition
There are three main types of repetition:- Epiphora (repetition at the end of neighboring clauses)
- Anaphora (repetition at the start of neighboring clauses)
- Commoratio (repetition of the same idea in neighboring clauses)
More Examples of Epiphora
This is an example from "The Merchant of Venice" by William Shakespeare:- BASSANIO: Sweet Portia,
If you did know to whom I gave the ring,
If you did know for whom I gave the ring,
And would conceive for what I gave the ring,
And how unwillingly I left the ring
When naught would be accepted but the ring,
You would abate the strength of your displeasure.
(Remember that the copied structure is also part of the epiphora. So, "to whom," "for whom," and "for what" are considered part of the shared endings.)
- "...that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."
- "When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child."
Examples of Epiphora in Songs
Here is an example of epiphora that features in "Single Ladies" by Beyonce:- 'Cause if you liked it, then you should have put a ring on it
If you liked it, then you shoulda put a ring on it
Don't be mad once you see that he want it
'Cause if you liked it, then you shoulda put a ring on it.
- Be used for emphasis.
- Be memorable.
- Make an impact.
- Make you look confident.
- In our opinion, the answer to the current situation is not making 10 people redundant. All that achieves is making 10 people redundant.
- Repetition is memorable, but use it sparingly. It can be impactful, but use it sparingly. It can portray you as confident, but it will portray you as crass, if you don't use it sparingly.
- It can also be annoying, if you don't use it sparingly.
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