:: COMPARE ::
The short answer
Anaphora repeats at the START of successive clauses; epistrophe repeats at the END. Same technique, opposite end of the line — and they feel completely different, because one sets an expectation and the other satisfies one.
Side by side
| Aspect | Anaphora | Epistrophe |
|---|---|---|
| Repetition at | The start | The end |
| Effect | Builds | Lands |
| Sets up | Expectation | Resolution |
| Both together | Symploce | Symploce |
What each one means
Repeating the same words at the start of successive clauses — we shall fight, we shall fight, we shall fight. In linguistics the same word names something else: a pronoun or other expression pointing back to something already said.
Full definition of Anaphora →The contrast above sets out how Epistrophe differs from Anaphora on the points that actually matter.