At the end of consecutive phrases or verses appealing to the repetition of one word or more, the literary figure known as epiphora is applied to the text.
Epiphora is the name assigned, within the field of rhetoric , to a literary figure that revolves around the fact of repeating one word or more in a text. As synonyms for this concept, both epistrophe and conversion are accepted, as detailed in the dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) .
In the field of medicine , however, the idea of epiphora is intended to describe an ocular condition characterized by excessive and persistent production of tears (there are, in any case, cases of abundant but intermittent tearing).
Returning to the meaning linked to the area of writing, it is worth highlighting that this resource is applied in the last sections of consecutive statements when reproducing the same word (or more) in adjacent phrases, verses or sonnets. Furthermore, it is interesting to mention that this term has a very ancient origin, first deriving from a Greek word and, later, enriching the Latin vocabulary. At that time, it was given meanings linked to an extra, an addition, something that is extra. And based on the documentation and records obtained throughout History, it was possible to establish that Rufino , a Latin author specialized in grammatical issues, positioned the epiphora as a rhetorical figure focused on the practice of lexical repetition .
Similarities and differences between epiphora and anaphora
It is necessary to accumulate theoretical data and add experience with practical exercise to be able to recognize similarities and differences between epiphora and anaphora . First of all, it is important to note that both are rhetorical figures included in the group of repetition figures .
In the case of epiphora , repetitions are reserved for the final part of consecutive sentences or expressions. On the other hand, anaphora , widely used by those who dedicate themselves to oratory , is observed at the beginning of a verse (when used in poetic compositions) or of a syntactic group (if it is worked with in the field of prose). . The purpose of this type of tools is to enhance the content by giving it rhythm and musicality .
Applications
Epiphora , also known as conversion , has applications in multiple literary formats and spaces of expression.
When reviewing practical cases, it is noted that this type of repetition embellishes texts intended for speeches, the sphere of theater, typical of the poetic genre and works developed in prose . Likewise, epiphora is present in many song lyrics.
The writing of a theatrical script, a speech or the elaboration of a poetic composition is embellished by using rhetorical figures such as epiphora or anaphora, among others.
Mario Benedetti , for example, has appealed to epiphora on more than one occasion, as is revealed when appreciating his creations such as “Viceversa” and “Let's make a deal” . Federico García Lorca also took it into account when he created “The Guitar” and “Romance de la luna” , to provide other references. The word even inspired the name of a collection of poems belonging to the production of Tony Zalazar , material titled “It's called epiphora.”
When it came to putting together and delivering speeches, meanwhile, former President Barack Obama found both epiphora and anaphora two resources to accentuate certain ideas or concepts.
Epiphora and other literary figures
The epiphora is one of the many literary figures that pursues expressive intensity using repetition. This is observed in structures such as “vital energy, love that is born in the depths of the mother's womb / powerful is the force that springs from the depths of the mother's womb” and “I am convinced that I love her / I am eager to love her…” .
The possibilities, in this framework, range from initial (typical of anaphora ) and final ( epíphora ) reiterations to parallelism (reiterating, either respecting the order or altering it, the elements of a structure distributed in a similar way). In addition, anadiplosis can be taken into account, a resource that focuses on including, at the beginning of a statement, the same word that marks the end of the immediately previous sentence.
We must not lose sight of the fact that these alternatives may, or may not, be combined with other literary figures . That is why it is always convenient to know the particularities of each of them in order to take advantage of the most useful or appropriate one based on personal needs, intentions or searches when creating a text.
The literary discourse is enriched by the application of rhetorical figures and manages to enhance the rhythm, add sound and exalt the intensity of the aesthetic function.
For example, paraphrases (tactic of explaining content using simple expressions and terms, synonyms and minimal syntactic modifications), enumeration (accumulating and adding linguistic elements with the aim of detailing, are available to the creators of verses and statements. , make a list, offer a count or inventory) and anastrophe (achieved by altering the normal or conventional syntactic order of a pair, or more, of consecutive words). The hyperbaton , the epanadiplosis , the polysyndeton and the periphrasis are so many tools to consider when creating a script , a poem or another variety of reading material.