Anadiplosis is used to add rhythm to the sentence and build the reader’s intensity to know the climax. This Penlighten article helps you understand this literary device better, with the help of several examples in poetry and literature.
Note:
It is important that you do not confuse anadiplosis with epanadiplosis, in which the same word is used to begin and end a sentence. For example, “You bleed when the white man says bleed. You bite when the white man says bite, and you bark when the white man says bark.”
It is important that you do not confuse anadiplosis with epanadiplosis, in which the same word is used to begin and end a sentence. For example, “You bleed when the white man says bleed. You bite when the white man says bite, and you bark when the white man says bark.”
Anadiplosis is a stylistic device that is used in literature to give an additional effect. When using anadiplosis, one begins a sentence, clause, or phrase by repeating the last word of the previous sentence or clause. For example, “Strength through unity, unity through faith.”
The use of anadiplosis adds rhythm, and emphasizes the words. It also helps build suspense, and intensity to know the climax. It can also be used to create descending action. For example, “Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.”
Examples:
» I would but run away. Run away, perhaps today. Perhaps today I will. I will run away.
» Will you come with me? Come with me to a better place. A place where we can be together forever, forever where we can do what we know must be done.
It is not necessary for the repeated words to be exactly beside each other. Sometimes, other words can be placed in between the repeated words, provided they are not too far apart. Given below are the various examples of anadiplosis in literature, poetry, films, songs, and speeches.
Anadiplosis in Literature
Our doubt is our passion, and our passion is our task. — Henry James, The Middle Years
All service ranks the same with God, With God, whose puppets, best and worst, Are we: there is no first, nor last. — Robert Browning, Pippa Passes
Queeg: ‘Aboard my ship, excellent performance is standard. Standard performance is sub-standard. Sub-standard performance is not permitted to exist. — Herman Wouk, The Caine Mutiny
My conscience hath a thousand several tongues, And every tongue brings in a several tale, And every tale condemns me for a villain. — William Shakespeare, Richard III
I beg your pardon; pardon, I beseech you. — William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet
The love of wicked men converts to fear, that fear to hate, and hate turns one or both to worthy danger and deserved death. — William Shakespeare, Richard III
What I present here is what I remember of the letter, and what I remember of the letter I remember verbatim (including that awful French). — Vladimir Nabokov, Lolita
Having power makes [totalitarian leadership] isolated; isolation breeds insecurity; insecurity breeds suspicion and fear; suspicion and fear breed violence. — Zbigniew Brzezinski, The Permanent Purge: Politics in Soviet Totalitarianism
Anadiplosis in Poetry
Noust in the grass
Grass in the wind
Wind on the lark
Lark for the sun
Sun through the sea
Sea in the heart
Heart in its noust
Nothing is lost.
— John Glenday, Grain
Grass in the wind
Wind on the lark
Lark for the sun
Sun through the sea
Sea in the heart
Heart in its noust
Nothing is lost.
— John Glenday, Grain
Long I looked into the sky,
Sky aglow with gleaming stars,
Stars that stream their courses high,
High and grand, those golden cars,
Cars that ever keep their track,
Track untraced by human ray,
Ray that zones the zodiac,
Zodiac with milky-way,
Milky-way where worlds are sown,
Sown like sands along the sea,
Sea whoso tide and tone e’er own,
Own a feeling to be free,
Free to leave its lowly place,
Place to prove with yonder spheres,
Spheres that trace athrough all space,
Space and years–unspoken years.
— Reverend M. Sheeleigh, Trying Skying
Sky aglow with gleaming stars,
Stars that stream their courses high,
High and grand, those golden cars,
Cars that ever keep their track,
Track untraced by human ray,
Ray that zones the zodiac,
Zodiac with milky-way,
Milky-way where worlds are sown,
Sown like sands along the sea,
Sea whoso tide and tone e’er own,
Own a feeling to be free,
Free to leave its lowly place,
Place to prove with yonder spheres,
Spheres that trace athrough all space,
Space and years–unspoken years.
— Reverend M. Sheeleigh, Trying Skying
I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree. And I will have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow. — William Butler Yeats, The Lake Isle of Innisfree
The mountains look on Marathon — And Marathon looks on the sea. — Lord Byron, The Isles of Greece
The years to come seemed waste of breath, waste of breath the years behind. — William Butler Yeats, An Irish Airman Foresees his Death
When I give, I give myself. — Walt Whitman, Song of Myself
For Lycidas is dead, dead ere his prime, Young Lycidas and hath not left his peer. — John Milton, Lycidas
Mine be thy love, and thy love’s use their treasure. — Shakespeare, Sonnet 20
Anadiplosis in Quotes and Speeches
Tonight, we are a country awakened to danger and called to defend freedom. Our grief has turned to anger, and anger to resolution. — George W. Bush, while addressing Congress and the Nation
The land of my fathers. My fathers can have it. — Dylan Thomas on ‘Wales’
Don’t you surrender! Suffering breeds character; character breeds faith; in the end faith will not disappoint. You must not surrender. — Jesse Jackson.
America’s Al-Qaida policy wasn’t working because our Afghanistan policy wasn’t working. And our Afghanistan policy wasn’t working because our Pakistan policy wasn’t working. — Condoleezza Rice.
Once you change your philosophy, you change your thought pattern. Once you change your thought pattern, you change your attitude. Once you change your attitude, it changes your behavior pattern and then you go on into some action. — Malcolm X.
Talent is an adornment, an adornment is also a concealment. — Nietzsche
The poor wish to be rich, the rich wish to be happy, the single wish to be married, and the married wish to be dead. — Ann Landers
Labor and care are rewarded with success, success produces confidence, confidence relaxes industry. — Samuel Johnson
Information is not knowledge, knowledge is not wisdom, wisdom is not truth, truth is not beauty, beauty is not love, love is not music and music is the best. — Frank Zappa
Anadiplosis in the Bible
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void. — King James Version
The waters prevailed and increased greatly on the earth, and the ark floated on the face of the waters. And the waters prevailed so mightily on the earth that all the high mountains under the whole heaven were covered. — Genesis, 7:17 – 20
We glory in tribulations also, knowing that tribulation worketh patience, and patience, experience, and experience, hope, and hope maketh man not ashamed. — Romans 5:3
You must make every effort to support your faith with goodness, and goodness with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with endurance, and endurance with godliness, and godliness with mutual affection, and mutual affection with love — II Peter 1:5 – 7
Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises!
Sing praises to the LORD with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of melody! — Psalm 98:4 and 5 (ESV)
Sing praises to the LORD with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of melody! — Psalm 98:4 and 5 (ESV)
A Song of degrees. I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth. — Psalm 121:1 and 2 (KJV)
You must make every effort to support your faith with goodness, and goodness with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with endurance, and endurance with godliness, and godliness with mutual affection, and mutual affection with love. — The Bible, II Peter 1:5 – 7
We also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us. — Romans 5:3 – 5
“Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. — Matthew 23:12
Anadiplosis in Films
“The general who became a slave. The slave who became a gladiator. The gladiator who defied an emperor. Striking story! — Commodus, Gladiator
“Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering. — Yoda, Star Wars
“Strength through purity, purity through faith. — Chancellor Adam Susan, V for Vendetta
“Watch your ‘thoughts, for they will become actions. Watch your actions, for they’ll become… habits. Watch your habits for they will forge your character. Watch your character, for it will make your destiny. — Margaret Thatcher, The Iron Lady
Anadiplosis in Songs
“Turn the lights out now
Now, I’ll take you by the hand
Hand you another drink
Drink it if you can
Can you spend a little time
Time is slipping away
Away from us, so stay
Stay with me I can make
Make you glad you came.
Now, I’ll take you by the hand
Hand you another drink
Drink it if you can
Can you spend a little time
Time is slipping away
Away from us, so stay
Stay with me I can make
Make you glad you came.
— “Glad You Came” by The Wanted
“The frog was a prince
The prince was a brick
The brick was an egg
The egg was a bird”
The prince was a brick
The brick was an egg
The egg was a bird”
— “Supper’s Ready” by Genesis
Apart from literature and poetry, anadiplosis is also widely used in speeches, to make a lasting impression on the listeners. Not only does it instill a hope in people, it also proves helpful in motivating them.
