1. A rhetorical device in which the same word or phrase is repeated at the end of successive clauses or sentences.
Usage: literary and rhetorical term; from Greek, meaning 'a turning about'

Examples

• In the phrase 'Never give up, never surrender, never lose hope,' the word 'never' is repeated at the beginning, while 'give up,' 'surrender,' and 'lose hope' end each clause—this demonstrates epistrophe through the repeated ending structure.
• The speaker used epistrophe when she said: 'We must fight for justice, we must fight for equality, we must fight for freedom.'
• Martin Luther King Jr. employed epistrophe in his speeches to create memorable, rhythmic endings that emphasized key ideas.
• The poet repeated 'forevermore' at the end of each stanza, creating an epistrophe that reinforced the theme of eternity.
• Epistrophe is often used in advertising slogans to make phrases catchy and memorable.