Terms

Polysyndeton  Figure of addition and emphasis which intentionally employs a series of conjunctions (and, or, but, for, nor, so, yet) not normally found in successive words, phrases, or clauses; the deliberate and excessive use of conjunctions in successive words or clauses.

Polysyndeton examples  "They all tasted to me like undersexed morons who had blundered or trickled into the wrong beds in automatic response to sexy advertisements, or to make themselves feel modern and emancipated, or to reassure themselves about their virility or their "normalcy," or even because they had nothing else to do." -- C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters

Polysyndeton examples  "Oh, my piglets, we are the origins of war -- not history's forces, nor the times, nor justice, nor the lack of it, nor causes, nor religions, nor ideas, nor kinds of government -- not any other thing. We are the killers." -- delivered by Katherine Hepburn (from the movie The Lion in Winter) The Lion in WinteThe Lion in Winte

Polysyndeton examples  "In years gone by, there were in every community men and women who spoke the language of duty and morality and loyalty and obligation." -- William F. Buckley

Parallel Structure  Figure of balance identified by a similarity in the syntactical structure of a set of words in successive phrases, clauses, sentences; successive words, phrases, clauses with the same or very similar grammatical structure.

Parallel structure examples  "...and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."  -- Abraham Lincoln, Gettysburg Address (here delivered by Jeff Daniels) Gettysburg AddressGettysburg Address

Parallel structure examples  "We have petitioned and our petitions have been scorned. We have entreated and our entreaties have been disregarded. We have begged and they have mocked when our calamity came. We beg no longer. We entreat no more. We petition no more. We defy them." -- William Jennings Bryan

Anaphora  Figure of repetition that occurs when the first word or set of words in one sentence, clause, or phrase is/are repeated at or very near the beginning of successive sentences, clauses, or phrases; repetition of the initial word(s) over successive phrases or clauses.

Anaphora examples  "That my heart has been troubled, that I have not sought this nomination, that I could not seek it in good conscience, that I would not seek it in honest self-appraisal, is not to say that I value it the less. Rather, it is that I revere the office of the Presidency of the United States." -- Adlai Stevenson, 1952 DNC Presidential Nomination Acceptance Address 1952 DNC Presidential Nomination Acceptance Address1952 DNC Presidential Nomination Acceptance Address

Anaphora examples  "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

Epistrophe  eh-PISS-truh-FEE): Figure of repetition that occurs when the last word or set of words in one sentence, clause, or phrase is repeated one or more times at the end of successive sentences, clauses, or phrases.

Epistrophe Examples  "The minister who has been called by God, ordained by God, appointed by God, and anointed by God, is assumed guilty until proven innocent."  -- Ravi Zacharias

Anadiplosis  an-uh-dih-PLO-sis): Figure of repetition that occurs when the last word or terms in one sentence, clause, or phrase is/are repeated at or very near the beginning of the next sentence, clause, or phrase.

Anadiplosis examples  "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, The Ballot or the Bullet The Ballot or the BulletThe Ballot or the Bullet

Anadiplosis examples  "Somehow, with the benefit of little formal education, my grandparents recognized the inexorable downward spiral of conduct outside the guardrails: If you lie, you will cheat; if you cheat, you will steal; if you steal, you will kill." -- USSC Justice Clarence Thomas

Epanalepsis  eh-puh-nuh-LEAP-siss): Figure of emphasis in which the same word or words both begin(s) and end(s) a phrase, clause, or sentence; beginning and ending a phrase or clause with the same word or words.

Epanalepsis examples  But I ain't goin' no 10,000 miles to help murder and kill other poor people. If I wanna die, I'll die right here, right now fightin' you -- if I wanna die. -- delivered by Will Smith (from the movie Ali) Ali

Epanalepsis examples  "My name is Robert Neville. I'm a survivor living in New York City. I am broadcasting on all AM frequencies. If you are out there, if anyone is out there, I can provide food, I can provide shelter, I can provide security -- if there's anybody out there." -- delivered by Will Smith (from the movie, I Am Legend)