Which of the following best describes anaphora?

• A. Alliteration
• B. Metaphor
• C. Anaphora
• D. Parallelism

Answer: (C)

Anaphora is the repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or sentences. This device builds rhythm and emphasis, making a point feel more persuasive or memorable.

Think of speeches that start several sentences with the same phrase, like “I have a dream…” repeated at the starts of multiple lines. That deliberate repetition at the start is what characterizes anaphora.

Alliteration focuses on repeated initial consonant sounds in nearby words, not on repeating a word at the start of each clause. Metaphor is a direct comparison between two things without using like or as. Parallelism is about matching grammatical structure across phrases or clauses; it’s a related idea, but the defining feature here is the repeated opening word or phrase, which marks anaphora.