You are here:About>Education>Grammar & Composition> Grammar & Rhetoric Glossary> Ecphonesis - Exuscitatio> epiphora - definition and examples of epiphora
About.comGrammar & Composition
Newsletters & RSSEmail to a friendSubmit to Digg
Figures of Repetition

AnaphoraDiacopePolyptoton

Figures of Repetition

EpanalepsisPloceEpizeuxis

"epiphora"

From Richard Nordquist,
Your Guide to Grammar & Composition.
FREE Newsletter. Sign Up Now!
Definition:

Repetition of a word or phrase at the end of several clauses. Compare with anaphora.

Etymology:

From the Greek, "bringing to"

Examples:

  • "When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as child."
    (I Corinthians 13.11)


  • "Success hasn’t changed Frank Sinatra. When he was unappreciated and obscure, he was hot-tempered, egotistical, extravagant, and moody. Now that he is rich and famous, he is still hot-tempered, egotistical, extravagant, and moody."
    (Dorothy Kilgallen, 1959 newspaper column)


  • "It's people. Soylent Green is made out of people. They're making our food out of people. Next thing they'll be breeding us like cattle for food. You've gotta tell them. You've gotta tell them!"
    (Charlton Heston as Detective Thorn in Soylent Green, 1973)


  • "Don't you ever talk about my friends! You don't know any of my friends. You don't look at any of my friends. And you certainly wouldn't condescend to speak to any of my friends. So you just stick to the things you know: shopping, nail polish, your father's BMW, and your poor, rich drunk mother in the Caribbean."
    (John Bender in The Breakfast Club)


  • "There is nothing wrong with America that cannot be cured by what is right with America."
    (Bill Clinton)


  • "I've gotta be your damn conscience. I'm tired of being your conscience. I don't enjoy being your conscience."
    (Dr. Wilson to Dr. House in House)


  • "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, The Pirates of the Caribbean)


  • "Take whatever idiot they have at the top of whatever agency and give me a better idiot. Give me a caring idiot. Give me a sensitive idiot. Just don’t give me the same idiot.”
    (Aaron Broussard, president of Jefferson Parish, speaking about FEMA Chief Michael Brown, Sep. 6, 2005)
Pronunciation: ep-i-FOR-ah
Also Known As: epistrophe
 All Topics | Email Article | | |
Advertising Info | News & Events | Work at About | SiteMap | Reprints | HelpOur Story | Be a Guide
User Agreement | Ethics Policy | Patent Info. | Privacy Policy©2008 About, Inc., A part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.