Saturday, October 1, 2011

Poetry Prompt #73 - Anaphora


In a recent workshop that I led, one of the participants spoke strongly against repetition in poetry. Admittedly, there are times when using a word or phrase more than once weakens it’s impact; however, there is a poetic technique (one of literature’s oldest, in fact) that raises the bar for repetition to create parallelism, enhance rhythm, intensify emotion, and strengthen sonic impression. This technique is called anaphora.

Anaphora derives from the Greek for “a carrying up or back” and is characterized by repetition of single words or phrases. In poetry, anaphora occurs when several lines or successive clauses begin with the same word or phrase.

 A good example of this is Shakespeare’s “Sonnet 66” in which ten lines begin with the word “and.”
Tired with all these, for restful death I cry,
As to behold desert a beggar born,
And needy nothing trimm'd in jollity,
And purest faith unhappily forsworn,
And gilded honour shamefully misplac'd,
And maiden virtue rudely strumpeted,
And right perfection wrongfully disgrac'd,
And strength by limping sway disabled
And art made tongue-tied by authority,
And folly – doctor-like – controlling skill,
And simple truth miscall'd simplicity,
And captive good attending captain ill:
Tir'd with all these, from these would I be gone,
Save that, to die, I leave my love alone. 
Another good example is Emily Brontë’s "Remembrance," in which the opening phrase, “Cold in the earth” is repeated.

Other examples:
“The Tyger” by William Blake (repetition of “what”)
“What the hammer? what the chain?

In what furnace was thy brain?

What the anvil? what dread grasp

Dare its deadly terrors clasp?”

“Birds of Passage” by Walt Whitman (repetition of “O”)
“O you daughters of the West!

O you young and elder daughters! O you mothers and you wives!

Never must you be divided, in our ranks you move united,

Pioneers! O pioneers!”


Whitman used anaphora extensively in his poems. Here’s another example: "Out of the Cradle Endlessly Rocking"
And, of course, by way of example, there is "Howl" by Allen Ginsberg
This week, try to write a poem in which you use anaphora. For starters, you may want to limit the poem to fifteen lines or less. Clearly, anaphora effects a poem’s sound and how it is read, sometimes creating a kind of chant or litany effect. There is, however, a fine line between heightened effect and boring reiteration – the trick is not to overdo. With good anaphora the poet creates a kind of tension that is released into “wisdom” with a “punch” at the dismount.


10 comments:

  1. The mighty anaphora of Dante Alighieri:

    Per me si va ne la città dolente,
    per me si va ne l'etterno dolore,
    per me si va tra la perduta gente.

    I just share your post on my blog...
    Thanks, Adele!

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  2. Thank you, Jago!

    What a perfect example. Thank you for sharing it!

    And thank you for sharing my post on your blog.

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  3. Interesting! Interesting! Interesting! Interesting!

    (Is that anaphora?)

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  4. Hi Adele,

    This is really interesting (yes, Bob's Mustangs I think that was anaphora - LOL). I've always had a problem with repetition in poetry and felt, as you noted, that it can weaken impact. However, the examples you provided prove otherwise - when done carefully, repetition (anaphora) can really add to a poem's power.

    As always, thanks,
    Jamie

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  5. Thanks, Jamie! So glad you enjoyed this one!

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  6. Thank so much, Adele!

    I didn't know that repetition in poetry has a formal name!


    Máire Ó Cathail (Ireland)

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  7. Hi Adele, I know it's late for another anaphora ( but I have some problem about WHY...).
    This link http://www.as.miami.edu/personal/sevnine/cecco.htm
    is about Cecco Angiolieri and his famous sonnet:

    If I were fire, I would consume the world
    If I were wind, I...

    and If I were Jago - as in fact I am -
    I just write a comment for Adele Kenny's poetry
    blog!
    Ciao!

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  8. Hi Jago,

    Thanks so much for your comment and for the link

    It's never too late to post a comment, and your comments are always welcome!

    Grazie mille!

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  9. Maire,

    I almost missed your comment, for which I apologize! Thank you!

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