What does epistrophe mean?
Epistrophe is a rhetorical figure in which the same word or phrase is repeated at the end of two or more successive clauses or sentences, creating rhythm, unity, and emphasis. Where anaphora builds momentum through repetition at the start of each clause, epistrophe drives home a point through repetition at the close, giving each statement a sense of finality and resonance. A celebrated example comes from Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, which ends with "government of the people, by the people, for the people." The word derives from the Greek epistrophē, meaning "turning back" or "return," reflecting how the phrase turns back upon itself at each clause's end. Epistrophe is primarily encountered in literary criticism, rhetoric, composition instruction, and analysis of great speeches and poetry. Writers and orators use it deliberately to lend cadence and persuasive force to their conclusions, making it a valuable term for anyone studying effective public speaking or prose style.
nounA rhetorical device in which the same word or phrase is repeated at the end of successive clauses or sentences. It is the counterpart of anaphora, where repetition occurs at the beginning of clauses.
- The repetition of the same word or phrase at the end of successive clauses, sentences, or verses, used as a rhetorical device for emphasis and rhythm.
""When I was a child, I spoke as a child; when I became a man, I put away the things of a child.""
"Lincoln's Gettysburg Address closes with the memorable epistrophe "of the people, by the people, for the people.""
"The speechwriter relied on epistrophe throughout the closing lines so that each sentence ended on the same resounding phrase."
Standard English plural, formed by adding -s. Used when discussing multiple instances of the device.
"Both speeches employed striking epistrophes in their closing paragraphs."
Abraham Lincoln's "government of the people, by the people, for the people" isn't just famous — it's one of history's most celebrated examples of epistrophe.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of epistrophe
Epistrophe derives from the Greek epistrophē, formed from epi- ("upon") plus strophē ("a turning"), literally meaning "a turning back upon." It entered English in the early modern period as a term of classical rhetoric, borrowed alongside related figures such as anaphora and antistrophe. It shares its root with words like apostrophe and catastrophe, all ultimately built on the Greek verb strephein, "to turn."
Related word forms
How epistrophe is actually used
Epistrophe belongs to formal and literary registers — it appears chiefly in discussions of rhetoric, composition, poetry, and oratory rather than everyday conversation. It carries no emotional connotation itself, though as a device it lends weight, finality, and rhythm to language. The term is also known by its synonym 'epiphora', which is somewhat less common. In classical Greek prosody, 'epistrophe' had a related technical meaning — the movement from lyric to trochaic metre in choral verse — but this sense is now largely historical.
Easily confused with epistrophe
Anaphora repeats words at the beginning of successive clauses, while epistrophe repeats them at the end.
An apostrophe is either a punctuation mark (') or a rhetorical address to an absent person or thing, whereas epistrophe is the repetition of words at the end of clauses.