In Russian poetry, in order to enhance the impact of expressions, various types of rhetorical and stylistic figures are used (epithets, allegories, tropes, etc.).
One of these figures is anaphora. Let's try to figure out what exactly it is and how it is used in Russian language and literature.
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Anaphora: meaning
Anaphora means unity of command or in other words, the simultaneous beginning and repetition of sounds, syllables, one word or several in the beginning phrases or stanzas of a poem or prose passage. Let's take as an example the famous lines of A. S. Pushkin:
I love you, Peter's creation, I love... slender look...
The repetition of the word “love” in this case is a mysterious stylistic move that serves as a connection between speech segments and gives the poem brightness and expressiveness.
The term comes from a word that, translated from ancient Greek into Russian, means “carrying up.” For example, in the poem “Autumn” by A. S. Pushkin, the anaphora “uzh” is used, it is repeated in the first two stanzas, thereby strengthening the approaching autumn. When reading this poem, a feeling of melancholy arises, because it reminds us of the approaching cold and damp season.
Anaphora: Wikipedia
Anaphora(translated from ancient Greek ἀναφορά - ascent) - a stylistic figure that consists of the repetition of related sounds, one word or a group of words located at the beginning of each row parallel to each other, i.e. in the repetition of the beginning parts of two or more independent segments of speech (verses, hemistiches, prose passages or stanzas).
Meaning and examples of anaphora in literature
Anaphora in literature is a figure of artistic speech, a literary device, which is based on the similarity of words in prose passages and verses, repeated in words, phrases, sounds, syntactic structures and morphemes at the beginning of parts of complex sentences, stanzas, phrases, paragraphs and periods.
Examples:
In works of this kind, a stylistic device is used with the aim of emotionally influencing the reader, often this is expressed in raising the tone, as well as by logical and semantic highlighting of important thoughts that combine into one whole the selected constructions that are different in structure and syntactic level.
Also the stylistic figure is considered as a type of continuous sentence. In Old Germanic poetry, this turn of phrase occurs as a form of connection of certain sentences or parts of a sentence and forms the so-called “anaphoric trisyllabic.” There is also a connection between anaphora and a rhetorical figure such as gradation; in this case, in literary techniques there is a gradual increase in the emotional nature of speech (for example: “A cattle dies, a friend dies, a man dies too”).
In prose speech, it is closely related to the forms of farewell and greeting. Poets and prose writers call these forms anaphoric; often they manifest themselves in imitation of folk meaning and in the works of modern writers.
It is worth noting the historical and cultural basis of this literary device. A similar appeal has long been considered an important turn of phrase to rulers, gods or those who sit together; everyone was treated equally so as not to anger anyone (e.g. , at a meeting, at a banquet or at a trial they said: “most venerable, respected, highly learned, wise gentlemenburgomasters and ratmans»; “most respectable, eminent and prudent gentlemen Elterman and old people" and so on.).
Anaphora can be located at the beginning of hemistiches (" City lush, city poor"), strings (" She doesn't feared retribution She doesn't was afraid of losses"), stanzas, are carried out through the entire poem in certain combinations (Lermontov, “When worried”; Fet, “This morning, this joy”, etc.). The anaphors of construction appear especially clearly in the example amoebaic composition*. Anaphora is also called a poem in which all the words begin with the same sound, for example:
*
Amoebaic composition- a widespread (especially in folk poetry) technique of compositional parallelism, which consists in the fact that a poem in which an amoebaic composition is used has a two-part character: it breaks up into two parallel series, and the periods included in these series are also usually paired, For example:
"And we sowed millet, sowed,
Oh, did okay, they sowed, they sowed.
And we will trample down the millet, we will trample down,
Oh, did okay, let's trample, trample."
The parallel connection of sentences in the text can be especially emphasized and strengthened by their identical beginning (anaphora).
Fragment from I. Isaev’s poem “Memory Court”:
ANAPHORA
- (from the Greek anaphora - bringing up) - stylistic figure: unity of beginning, repetition of a word or group of words at the beginning of poetic lines or prose phrases; one of the varieties of parallel syntactic constructions (see parallelism).
I love you, Petra's creation,
I love your strict, slender appearance.
A.S. Pushkin
See also repeat
Dictionary of literary terms. 2012
See also interpretations, synonyms, meanings of the word and what ANAFORA is in Russian in dictionaries, encyclopedias and reference books:
- ANAPHORA in the Dictionary-index of names and concepts of ancient Russian art:
(Greek offering) a special prayer (canon), which is the main part of the liturgy (see) and begins after the reading of the Creed. The central moment of the anaphora is exaltation... - ANAPHORA in the Directory of Characters and Cult Objects of Greek Mythology:
“bringing to the top” - repetition of the same words at the beginning of sentences or sections. parts of the same sentence: ... - ANAPHORA in the Literary Encyclopedia:
[Greek ??????? - return, unity of beginning, fastening] - repetition of any similar sound elements at the beginning of adjacent rhythmic series (hemistiches, lines, stanzas). ... - ANAPHORA in the Big Encyclopedic Dictionary:
(Greek anaphora lit. - carrying out), stylistic figure; repetition of the initial parts (sounds, words, syntactic or rhythmic structures) of adjacent segments of speech (words, ... - ANAPHORA in the Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Euphron:
(Greek) - a rhetorical figure consisting of repeating with special emphasis a word or even several words at the beginning of the immediately following ... - ANAPHORA
[from the ancient Greek anaphora bringing to the top] a poetic device consisting of repeating at the beginning of two or more segments of speech (verses, phrases) one ... - ANAPHORA in the Encyclopedic Dictionary:
y, w. 1. lit. Stylistic figure: identity of sound or word combinations, rhythmic structures at the beginning of successive phrases or... - ANAPHORA in the Big Russian Encyclopedic Dictionary:
ANAPHOR (Greek anaphora, lit. - removal), stylistic. figure; repetition of the beginning parts (sounds, words, syntactic or rhythmic structures) of adjacent segments of speech (words, ... - ANAPHORA in the Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedia:
(Greek) ? a rhetorical figure consisting of repeating with special emphasis a word or even several words at the beginning of the immediately following... - ANAPHORA in the Complete Accented Paradigm according to Zaliznyak:
ana"fora, ana"fora, ana"fora, ana"for, ana"fore, ana"foram, ana"fora, ana"fora, ana"fora, ana"fora, ana"fora, ana"fore, ... - ANAPHORA
(Greek anaphora - bringing up). A stylistic figure consisting in the repetition of the same elements at the beginning of each parallel... - ANAPHORA in the New Dictionary of Foreign Words:
(gr. anaphora ana... again + phoros bearing) unity of beginning, repetition - sounds, phrases, rhythmic and speech structures at the beginning of parallel ... - ANAPHORA in the Dictionary of Foreign Expressions:
[gr. anaphora unity of beginning, repetition - of sounds, phrases, rhythmic and speech structures at the beginning of parallel syntactic periods or poetic lines, for example: ... - ANAPHORA in the Russian Synonyms dictionary:
unity of command... - ANAPHORA in the New Explanatory Dictionary of the Russian Language by Efremova:
- ANAPHORA in Lopatin’s Dictionary of the Russian Language:
an'aphora, ... - ANAPHORA in the Complete Spelling Dictionary of the Russian Language:
anaphora... - ANAPHORA in the Spelling Dictionary:
an'aphora, ... - ANAPHORA in the Modern Explanatory Dictionary, TSB:
(Greek anaphora, lit. - carrying out), stylistic figure; repetition of the initial parts (sounds, words, syntactic or rhythmic structures) of adjacent segments of speech (words, ... - ANAPHORA in Ephraim's Explanatory Dictionary:
anaphora A stylistic device in versification that consists of repeating the same sounds, words, phrases, sentences, etc. V … - ANAPHORA in the New Dictionary of the Russian Language by Efremova:
and. A stylistic device in versification that consists of repeating the same sounds, words, phrases, sentences, etc. at first … - ANAPHORA in the Large Modern Explanatory Dictionary of the Russian Language:
and. A stylistic device in versification that consists of repeating the same sounds, words, phrases, sentences, etc. at first … - ANAPHOR SYNTAX in the Dictionary of Linguistic Terms:
Repetition of the same syntactic structures. Do I wander along noisy streets, Do I enter a crowded temple, Do I sit... - ANAPHOR MORPHEMIC in the Dictionary of Linguistic Terms:
Repeating the same morphemes or parts of complex words. ..A black-eyed maiden, a black-maned horse! (Lermontov.) Lexical anaphora. Repetition of the same...
Means of expression are techniques that make literature more emotional and oral speech richer and more colorful. These artistic paths are studied in school, but the program does not provide a full understanding of what they are for and how they work. One of the most famous and easy to remember means is anaphora. This is a classic stylistic device that is most often found in lyrical literary works and poetry.
What is anaphora
In another way, this means of artistic expression is called unity of command. It consists of various kinds of repetitions at the beginning of parts of the work, usually hemistiches, verses or paragraphs.
The definition of what anaphora is in literature, given in the Dictionary of Literary Terms by N. I. Ryabkova, sounds like this:
A stylistic figure consisting of the repetition of the initial parts (sound, word, phrase, sentence) of two or more independent segments of speech.
Functions of anaphora
Typically, examples of anaphora from fiction can be found in poems, ditties, poems, songs and other works. It is this literary genre - poetry - that is characterized by expression, emphasis on the feelings and experiences of the lyrical hero. The image of the inner world occurs through linguistic means. Anaphora in literature serves to enhance the emotional component of the narrative and introduces an element of liveliness and energy into it. For example, in A. S. Pushkin’s poem “Cloud”:
The last cloud of the scattered storm!
Alone you rush across the clear azure,
You alone cast a dull shadow,
You alone sadden the jubilant day.
In this work, the intonation and contextual emphasis falls on the word “one” due to its repetition, which indicates the state of the inner world of the lyrical hero. In this poem, the semantic emphasis is on the fact that the cloud is the only negative factor, which gives the verse an expressive and accusatory coloring.
Examples of anaphora from literature and more
Anaphora is a means of artistic expression, so it is much less common in popular science literature or official documents, like any other means of expressiveness. Moreover, this technique has too strong an emotional connotation, unacceptable for some styles. You can glean examples of anaphora from literature, including both poetry and prose, or from public speeches or letters.
For example, anaphora was used in the speech of V.V. Putin to add solemnity, persuasiveness and insight to his words:
We need to continue the transformation we have started together with you. So that in every city, in every village, on every street, in every house and in the life of every Russian person, changes for the better occur.
To observe how the emotional coloring changes, you can remove it from this passage: “... in every city, village, on the street, in the house and in the life of a Russian person, changes for the better took place.” Without lexical repetition, this listing loses its expressive “weight” and emphasis.
An example of anaphora in prose is present, for example, in an article by Academician D. S. Likhachev:
If a man on the street lets an unfamiliar woman pass ahead of him (even on the bus!) and even opens the door for her, but at home does not help his tired wife wash the dishes, he is an ill-mannered person. If he is polite with his acquaintances, but gets irritated with his family on every occasion, he is an ill-mannered person. If he does not take into account the character, psychology, habits and desires of his loved ones, he is an ill-mannered person. If, as an adult, he takes the help of his parents for granted and does not notice that they themselves already need help, he is an ill-mannered person.
Here, too, there is an intensification of the enumeration, an emphasis on the importance of each individual example considered in the passage. Thus, the situations that the author mentions become not part of one semantic structure, but different passages with their own contextual energy, which forces the reader to pay separate attention to each of them, and not to all of them at once.
Poetry contains the most extensive number of examples of unity of command. It is in lyric poetry that expression comes into play more often than in other literary genres. An example of anaphora in a poem by A.S. Pushkin:
I swear even and odd
I swear sword and right battle...
In a specific example, anaphora is expressed by the verb “I swear.” In itself it carries a solemn connotation, but repetition strengthens it.
Types of anaphora
Anaphora happens:
- sound;
- lexical;
- syntactic;
- morphemic;
- rhythmic.
Sound anaphora in literature is the repetition of a sound or group of sounds at the beginning of a paragraph, if it is prose, or a verse, if it is a poem, for example in the work of Alexander Blok “Oh, spring! without end and without edge...”:
Oh, spring without end and without edge
An endless and endless dream!
I recognize you, life! I accept!
And I greet you with the ringing of the shield!
The paired sounds [z] - [s] are repeated, associated with a light spring breeze, which corresponds to the idea and context of the poem.
Lexical anaphora is the repetition of a lexical unit, a whole word or particle. This type is the most common and easiest to recognize by the reader. For example, in a poem by Sergei Yesenin:
It was not in vain that the winds blew,
It was not in vain that the storm came...
Syntactic is a special case of lexical anaphora, when entire syntactic constructions are repeated, for example sentences or parts of a sentence, as in the poem by Afanasy Fet:
Only in the world is there something shady
Dormant maple tent,
Only in the world is there something radiant
A child's thoughtful gaze.
Morphemic anaphora in literature implies the repetition of any part of a word - a morpheme, for example, in M. Yu. Lermontov:
The black-eyed girl
Black-maned horse...
In this case, the root “black-” is repeated, combining “maiden” and “horse” in features.
Rhythmic anaphora is when a rhythmic pattern is repeated at the beginning of a verse or stanza. A striking example of this is in the work of Nikolai Gumilyov:
Enchants the queen
Vast Rus'.
This type of anaphora is used only in poetry, since there is no rhythm in prose.
Anaphora in English
Unity of principles is a universal stylistic device and is used not only in Russia. Anaphora is also often found in literature in other languages, especially in songs, and has the same functions as in Russian.
My heart's in the Highlands,
My heart is not here
My heart's in the Highlands,
And chasing the dear.
This passage uses the lexical aspect.
Winston Churchill himself did not neglect this technique, actively using it in his speeches and performances. It was also used by Martin Luther King in his famous “I Have a Dream” speech.
Anaphora is unity of command; a stylistic device that consists of the deliberate repetition of sounds, morphemes, words or syntactic structures at the beginning of two or more adjacent speech segments (words, phrases, sentences, lines, stanzas). Anaphora in stylistics refers to figures of addition.
Origin
Anaphora is an ancient literary device whose origins lie in the biblical psalms. Early religious texts contain an abundance of sound, lexical, and syntactic repetitions that emphasize individual words, phrases and sentences (“For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted...”); Bible).
Writers of the Elizabethan era and the period of romanticism embodied the stylistic device of anaphora in prose and poetry (“Mad world! Mad kings! Mad is their union!”; Shakespeare, “King John”).
Because anaphora uses redundancy of words to create a dramatic effect, this technique is not common in academic and journalistic texts. Thus, anaphora is not common to formal writing styles and is primarily used to create rhythm and emphasis in a poetic manner.
Types of anaphora
Depending on the repeating elements in speech segments, the following types of anaphora are distinguished:
- sound (phonic) anaphora - repetition of sounds in words located at the beginning of adjacent speech segments. Sound anaphora is characteristic of alliterative verse;
- morphemic anaphora - repetition of morphemes, i.e. parts of words, at the beginning of adjacent segments of speech;
- lexical (verbal) anaphora - repetition of words at the beginning of parallel speech segments. This is the most common type of anaphora;
- syntactic anaphora - repetition of syntactic structures at the beginning of adjacent speech segments;
- strophic anaphora - repetition of speech elements at the beginning of parallel stanzas of a verse;
- rhythmic anaphora - repetition of rhythmic units (stops) in adjacent poetic lines.
Anaphora in poetry
Anaphora in poetry is placed at the beginning of hemistiches, poetic lines, stanzas, or throughout the entire work (“When the yellowing field is agitated...” by M. Yu. Lermontov, “This morning, this joy...” by A. A. Fet), constituting its principle compositions.
The term anaphora is also used to describe a poem in which all the words begin with the same sound.
The stylistic device of anaphora was used by famous Russian writers A. S. Pushkin, N. V. Gogol, M. Yu. Lermontov, A. A. Fet, F. I. Tyutchev, A. A. Blok, L. N. Tolstoy, F. M. Dostoevsky, S. A. Yesenin, B. L. Pasternak, K. D. Balmont and others.
Examples of anaphora:
The city is lush, the city is poor...
(A.S. Pushkin)
It was not in vain that the winds blew,
It was not in vain that the storm came.
(S. A. Yesenin)
Anaphora in rhetoric
Speakers, including political leaders, use anaphora as a rhetorical device in their speeches to emphasize the ideas they want to convey and to evoke emotions in the audience. In oral speech, anaphora is usually realized in the repetition of one word or an entire phrase. 
Anaphora was used by politician and orator Winston Churchill. His affirmative speech, “We Will Fight on the Beaches” (1940), delivered during World War II, is full of anaphoric examples. W. Churchill repeatedly repeated the word “we,” referring to the plural form, which he applied to the entire nation, evoking patriotic sentiments among the people.
Functions of anaphora
Anaphora as a stylistic device in literature performs the following functions:
- strengthening the imagery and expressiveness of artistic speech;
- semantic and logical selection of significant ideas by focusing on repeating elements of speech;
- establishing connections between segments of speech based on parallelism;
- expressing the contrast between parallel speech series through antitheses;
- adding rhythm to the text, which strengthens its intonation and semantic structure, making it easier to read and memorize;
- maintaining the melodic impact of poetic speech with sound, lexical or syntactic repetition;
- compositional structure in the lyrical plot.
Anaphora as a rhetorical device is used to attract the attention of the audience, to evoke emotions in listeners, in order to convince, motivate and encourage them.
Anaphora and epiphora
Anaphora and epiphora (epistrophe) are similar concepts in the sense that both are stylistic devices based on the repetition of elements of speech. However, in anaphora, repeating units are placed at the beginning of adjacent passages of text, in epiphora - at the end. If these two figures are used simultaneously, they form a simploca - a combination of anaphora and epiphora.
Anaphora also comes into combination with other types of repetition: polyunion (polysyndeton); gradation - a figure consisting of listing the elements of speech with increasing intonation, for example: “I don’t regret, I don’t call, I don’t cry...” (S. A. Yesenin).
In contemporary art, anaphora appears in a variety of contexts, including songs, films, television, political speeches, poetry, and prose.
The word anaphora comes from the Greek anaphora, which translated means carrying out, repeating.
