Syntactical Devices Nicholas Cirelli
Anadiplosis
Definition: Repetition of the final words of a sentence or line at the beginning of the next.
Example: "'And then again, we may never know exactly.' 'Exactly what?' 'What happened.'"
Anaphora
Example: "Her coat and hat hung on a hook in the hall, as if she'd only stepped out for a moment. Her wedding china was on display in the parlor cabinet. Her sheet music say on the piano. Her bold handwriting filled the book with recipes that lay open, more often than not, on the counter in the kitchen where Marina, Jeddy's older sister, was now in charge."
Definition: The repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses.
Antithesis
Example: "She knew how to speak up when she wanted, even to her own father, the chief of police. She just wasn't a gabber like some girls her age."
Definition: A contrast or opposition between two things.
Epanalepsis
Example: "'It's about time you started supporting your own lifestyle.' 'What lifestyle?' David had protested. 'How can I have a lifestyle when I live at home?"
Definition: Repetition after intervening words.
Epistrophe
Example: We were close at one time. Had adventures. "What adventures?"
Definition: The repetition of a word at the end of successive clauses or sentences.
Asyndeton
Definition: Omission of conjunctions that that ordinarily join words or clauses.
Example: "You know what. Movies, magazines, computer games. All that stuff you buy at the mall. Books."
Polysyndeton
Example: "I'll be mucking and plucking and watering the flocks."
Definition: Using conjunctions in close succession, especially where some would usually be omitted.