How many famous Ana’s can you name?
Ana de Armas.
Ana Gasteyer.
Ana Carolina…
…but what about Anaphora?
Anaphora, that linguistic enchantress.
Anaphora, it casts a spell through repetition.
Anaphora, the drumbeat that pounds ideas into memory….
Yeah, anaphora is probably one of the oldest literary devices out there! It’s pretty simple: you repeat a word or phrase. The repetition and rhythm make your message stickier.
I used anaphora pretty heavily at the start of this post with Ana, Ana, Ana — and then Anaphora, Anaphora, Anaphora.
At this point, I need to leave it alone. Because while anaphora is a pretty powerful device for getting a message to stick, it gets annoying if you overuse it!
So when can you use anaphora effectively in a speech?
When you’ve identified a key message you’d like the audience to remember!
For example, if you’re rallying your team on the importance of working together, you might try repeating “together.”
“Together, we mobilize. Together, we innovate. Together, we succeed.”
Or maybe you’ll choose the word “collaboration.”
“Collaboration is our compass. Collaboration is our drive. Collaboration is our destiny.”
Repetition isn’t just repetition; it provides a heartbeat for your message.
Now that you’ve read this: how long do you think you’ll remember Anaphora?
And how many other famous Anas can you name?