Quora Answer: Is Epistrophe a Rhetorical Strategy?

The following is my answer to a Quora question: “Is epistrophe a rhetorical strategy?”

An epistrophe is a rhetorical device.  It is the repetition of the same word or words at the end of successive clauses or sentences.  It is also known as an epiphora, and is the opposite of an anaphora, which is the repetition of the same word or words at the beginning of successive clauses or sentences. 

An epistrophe is an emphatic device where the emphasis placed on the last word in a clause or sentence.  The intent is to emphasise a particular idea, by arousing an emotive response from the audience.  This is an example of the use of pathos in rhetoric.  Epistrophes are particularly effective because the audience tends to fixate on the last word or words said, and it becomes embedded in the psyche.  When used properly, it makes the passage memorable.  This is particularly important in campaign speeches, or political speeches. 

A famous example of epistrophe in speech would be last part of Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, delivered during the American Civil War at the dedication of the Soldiers’ National Cemetery, on the 09^th November 1863: “ … and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the Earth.”