Epanalepsis Examples: Beginning and Ending with the Same Word
Epanalepsis is a rhetorical device in which a word or phrase from the beginning of a clause, sentence, or line is repeated at the end. The term comes from the Greek word meaning "a taking up again" — and that's exactly what it does. It picks up the opening idea and circles back to it, creating a sense of completion, emphasis, and inevitability.
Epanalepsis Pattern
X ... X
The same word or phrase appears at both the beginning and end of a clause or sentence.
"Blood hath bought blood, and blows have answer'd blows."
What Is Epanalepsis?
Epanalepsis (pronounced ep-uh-nuh-LEP-sis) belongs to the family of repetition-based rhetorical figures. Where anaphora repeats words at the beginning of successive clauses, and epistrophe repeats them at the end, epanalepsis bookends a single clause — the same word opens and closes it, like a frame around a painting.
This circular structure gives the sentence a feeling of completeness. The reader begins and ends in the same place, which creates a sense of inevitability — as if the conclusion was always embedded in the premise. It's a favorite device of speechwriters, poets, and screenwriters who want a line to land with weight and finality.
Epanalepsis vs. Related Devices
Epanalepsis
"Blood hath bought blood."
Same word at start and end of a clause.
Anaphora
"We shall fight... we shall fight..."
Same word at the start of successive clauses.
Epistrophe
"...of the people, by the people."
Same word at the end of successive clauses.
Epanalepsis in Literature
- —"The king is dead, long live the king." — Traditional proclamation
- —"Blood hath bought blood, and blows have answer'd blows." — William Shakespeare, King John
- —"Nothing can be created out of nothing." — Lucretius, On the Nature of Things
- —"Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice." — Philippians 4:4
- —"The hours that once were thine, will never again be thine." — Ovid
- —"Believe not all you can hear, tell not all you believe." — Native proverb
- —"Possessions, as it were, possess." — Henry David Thoreau
- —"Men may come and men may go." — Alfred, Lord Tennyson
- —"Struggle is the father of all things. It is not by the principles of humanity that man lives or is able to preserve himself above the animal world, but solely by means of the most brutal struggle." — adapted, demonstrating bookending with "struggle"
- —"A lie begets a lie." — Common proverb
Epanalepsis in Poetry
- —"Rejoice, ye righteous, rejoice." — Psalm-inspired verse
- —"Strong was the voice that spoke, and strong." — Adapted poetic line
- —"Water, water, everywhere, / Nor any drop to drink — water." — Adapted from Coleridge, illustrating circular emphasis
- —"Night that closes all, and night." — Tennyson-inspired
- —"Sing, O muse, of rage and ruin — sing." — Epic invocation style
- —"Dust thou art, and unto dust." — Genesis 3:19
- —"Fire that forges iron will, fire." — Original poetic example
- —"Weep for the lost, and for the lost, weep." — Elegiac verse
- —"Stars beyond counting, beyond the edge of time — stars." — Cosmic verse
- —"Love is patient, love is kind — love." — Adapted from 1 Corinthians
Epanalepsis in Speeches and Rhetoric
- —"Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power." — Adapted from Lord Acton
- —"Government of the people, by the people, for the people — government." — Lincoln-inspired framing
- —"Common sense is not so common — sense." — Voltaire-inspired
- —"Justice will not be served until those who are unaffected are as outraged as those who are. Justice." — Adapted from Benjamin Franklin
- —"Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed. Freedom." — Adapted from MLK Jr.
- —"Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change." — Adapted from Obama
- —"Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding. Peace." — Adapted from Einstein
- —"Leadership is not about being in charge. It is about taking care of those in your charge. Leadership." — Adapted from Simon Sinek
- —"Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness. Hope." — Adapted from Desmond Tutu
- —"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. Education." — Adapted from Mandela
Epanalepsis in Everyday Language
- —"Boys will be boys."
- —"It is what it is."
- —"Live and let live."
- —"The only thing we have to fear is fear."
- —"Seeing is believing, and believing is seeing."
- —"What's done is done."
- —"Easy come, easy go — easy."
- —"Fair is foul, and foul is fair." — Shakespeare, Macbeth
- —"Time after time after time."
- —"Money makes money."
Epanalepsis in Song and Music
- —"Let it be, let it be, let it be." — The Beatles
- —"Hello, is it me you're looking for? Hello." — Adapted from Lionel Richie
- —"Tomorrow, tomorrow, I love ya, tomorrow." — Annie
- —"Free at last, free at last, thank God almighty, we are free." — Spiritual / MLK Jr.
- —"Dream on, dream on, dream on — dream." — Aerosmith-inspired
- —"Run, boy, run — this world is not made for you. Run." — Woodkid-inspired
- —"Stay, all you need is to stay." — Adapted lyric
- —"Home, there's no place like home." — Adapted from The Wizard of Oz
- —"Remember when we were young and wild and free — remember." — Ballad style
- —"Falling, can't help falling." — Elvis-inspired
Epanalepsis in Film and Television
- —"Here's looking at you, kid. Here's looking." — Casablanca-inspired
- —"I am your father — I am." — Star Wars-inspired emphasis
- —"Life finds a way. Life." — Jurassic Park-inspired
- —"After all this time? Always. Always." — Harry Potter-inspired
- —"I'll be back. I'll be back." — Terminator-inspired
- —"Forget it, Jake. It's Chinatown. Forget it." — Chinatown-inspired
- —"Roads? Where we're going, we don't need roads." — Back to the Future (begins and ends with "roads")
- —"Hope. That is the good thing about hope. It never dies. Hope." — Film dialogue style
- —"War. War never changes." — Fallout series (begins and ends with "war")
- —"Time. All we have is time." — Dramatic dialogue
Why Epanalepsis Works
It creates closure
By returning to the opening word, epanalepsis gives a sentence a feeling of completeness. The reader senses that the thought has come full circle. This makes it particularly effective for conclusions, final lines of chapters, and climactic moments in speeches.
It adds emphasis
Hearing a word twice — once at the start and once at the end — forces the reader to pay attention to it. The repeated word becomes the anchor of the sentence, the idea that everything else orbits around. It's a subtle way to tell the reader: this word matters most.
It creates rhythm
The bookend structure gives prose a musical quality. The sentence begins on a note, develops, and returns to that same note — like a musical phrase that resolves to its home key. This rhythmic quality makes epanalepsis-driven sentences more memorable and quotable.
It implies inevitability
When a sentence ends where it began, it suggests that the conclusion was predetermined — that no matter what happened in the middle, we were always going to arrive back here. This makes epanalepsis a powerful tool for expressing themes of fate, cycles, and inescapable truths.
Tips for Using Epanalepsis in Your Writing
Choose the right word to repeat. The repeated word carries extra weight, so it should be thematically significant. Words like "blood," "power," "hope," "fear," and "time" work well because they carry inherent emotional resonance.
Use it sparingly. Epanalepsis is most effective when it's rare. If every sentence in a paragraph bookends itself, the device loses its punch. Save it for moments of climax, revelation, or thematic emphasis.
Let the middle do work. The material between the two repetitions should develop, complicate, or transform the meaning of the repeated word. When the reader encounters the word the second time, it should feel slightly different — enriched by the journey of the sentence.
Combine it with other devices. Epanalepsis pairs beautifully with antithesis ("Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding. Peace.") and with tricolon ("Hope is the thing with feathers, the thing that perches in the soul, the thing that sings. Hope.").
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