The epanastrophe is a rhetorical stylistic means of repetition, which is to be found mainly in lyric poetry. The epanastrophe is either (1) another term for the anadiplosis, or (2) means the repetition of the last verse of a stanza in the following verse. The anadiplosis means the fact that a proposition or part-sentence ends with a word which begins in the following sentence.
The term can be derived from the Greek and translated with re-conversion. Thus the translation of the word already points to the fact that this is a form of repetition, which in this case means the recourse of an entire verse, which represents the end of a verse and is inserted in the next verse, or the repetition of a word or a word sequence at the end as well as at the beginning of successive sentences. Let’s take a few examples:
(1) With the ships play wind and waves,
Wind and waves do not play with his heart.
The above example is taken from the poem “Seefahrt” by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, and includes an anadiplos, which may be referred to as the epanalysis. Here, a word sequence, which is at the end of a verse, is repeated at the beginning of the following line. This resumption can draw the attention of the reader to this passage, and thus acts as a reinforcement.
(1) You want to be a friend to me? Be a friend in good times and in bad times?
The above example shows that this type of repetition can not only combine verse lines, but also works in a prosaic flow text. In this end, the first sentence on the word sequence will be a joy, which will be picked up immediately in the next sentence and marked its beginning. In principle, however, this could also be a single word, so that the characteristics of the anadiplosis (epanastrophe) would be fulfilled. See below for the second meaning of the epanastrophe:
(2) I want to be gay today,
no thought is in the way.
That’s why I’m left alone.
Therefore I remain alone,
to get thought pure.
Yes. This is true being.
The above example was itself poemed to illustrate the principle of the epanalysis. It is apparent that the last verse of the first three-line verse (see Terzet) is the first line of the following section. This resumption is also called an epanastrophe, a similar principle being pursued here: the repeating of a wording, even if this is the whole line.
Short overview: The most important thing about the Stilfigur at a glance
The epanastrophe is a rhetorical stylistic device. It means either an anadipless, ie the repetition of a word or a word sequence at the end of a sentence or verse at the beginning of the subsequent sentence or verse, or the fact that the last verse line of a verse is repeated in the following verse.
Like other stylistic devices that repeat something, epanalyses have a reinforcing effect. Furthermore, they can direct the attention of the recipient (reader, listener) to the repeated, and are therefore urgent, which is why they are often used in speeches.