Examples of Anaphora in Famous Speeches for AP English

📚 Quick Study Guide

🔍 Definition: Anaphora is the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses, phrases, or sentences. ✍️ Purpose: It creates emphasis, rhythm, and emotional effect. 🗣️ Common in: Speeches, poetry, and persuasive writing. 💡 Effect: Anaphora can create a sense of building momentum or urgency. 🧠 Example Structure: "I have a dream... I have a dream... I have a dream..."

Practice Quiz

1. Which of the following best defines anaphora?
   1. The use of metaphors to create vivid imagery.
   2. The repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses.
   3. The arrangement of words in a particular order for rhetorical effect.
   4. A brief and indirect reference to a person, place, thing, or idea of historical, cultural, literary, or political significance.
2. In Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech, which phrase is a prime example of anaphora?
   1. "Let freedom ring..."
   2. "One day..."
   3. "I have a dream..."
   4. "My country..."
3. What is the primary effect of using anaphora in a speech?
   1. To confuse the audience.
   2. To create emphasis and rhythm.
   3. To shorten the speech.
   4. To introduce new ideas.
4. Which speech contains the famous anaphora "We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets...?"
   1. Abraham Lincoln's "Gettysburg Address"
   2. Winston Churchill's "We Shall Fight on the Beaches"
   3. John F. Kennedy's "Inaugural Address"
   4. Franklin D. Roosevelt's "Pearl Harbor Address to the Nation"
5. Which of the following is NOT a typical function of anaphora?
   1. Creating a sense of urgency.
   2. Emphasizing a particular point.
   3. Introducing new characters.
   4. Adding rhythm to the speech.
6. Which literary device is often used in conjunction with anaphora to create a more powerful effect?
   1. Hyperbole
   2. Understatement
   3. Metaphor
   4. Alliteration
7. Complete the following anaphora: "...government of the people, by the people, ______ the people, shall not perish from the earth."
   1. toward
   2. for
   3. with
   4. under