Anadiplosis (pronounced a-na-di-plo-sis) occurs when the same language is used at the end of one sentence or clause and at the beginning of the next. It forms an ABBC pattern. It means “doubling” in the Greek language.
This rhetorical device is often used to describe chains of causation or reasoning. One of the most famous examples of anadiplosis is Benjamin Franklin’s popularized version of a proverb, which was featured in Poor Richard’s Almanack (1758).
For the want of a nail the shoe was lost,
For the want of a shoe the horse was lost,
For the want of a horse the rider was lost,
For the want of a rider the battle was lost,
For the want of a battle the kingdom was lost,
And all for the want of a horseshoe-nail.
This passage is more or less an adage equivalent to “A stitch in time saves nine.” However, although it might be just as folksy, the anadiplosis is able to demonstrate much better the cumulative effect of ignoring small things, which at the time may seem non-consequential.
Whereas the price of a stitch in time is just nine more stitches, the cost of neglecting “the want of a nail” is the loss of a whole kingdom.
The more famous examples of anadiplosis typically teach a moral or a lesson by carefully demonstrating a chain of logic or reason. In modern film a good example of this is Master Yoda, the Star Wars character:
Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.
It is not surprising that this example comes from this character as he is well-known for these sorts of sagacious sayings — exactly the type of effect that anadiplosis lends itself to.
Anadiplosis in the New Testament
This tendency for Andiplosis to teach a moral makes it ideal for books in the New Testament, in particular in the Epistles written to church leaders and members by Apostle Paul.
We see an example of this in Romans 5:3-5:
And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
In the case of Benjamin Franklin, he wrote this version of the proverb to encourage members of a new colony to be always prepared and vigilant in their affairs.
Apostle Paul was writing to a Christian community that was only a few decades old and who were members of a newly established church that was held in suspicion by the state and other communities practicing either Judaism or Greek-Roman polytheism.
The apostle is encouraging these Christian believers to bear whatever tribulations or resistance they might encounter and to even turn these tribulations into hope.
It is an uplifting message that begins with the challenge of tribulations, which should be encountered with perseverance, which eventually turns into character and at last hope.
Anadiplosis in modern politics
Malcolm X used Anadiplosis to encourage radical reform and ways of thinking in the Black community in his famous speech, “The Ballot or the Bullet” (1964):
Once you change your philosophy, you change your thought pattern. Once you change your thought pattern you change your attitude. Once you change your attitude it changes your behavior pattern. And then you go on into some action. As long as you got a sit-down philosophy you'll have a sit-down thought pattern. And as long as you think that old sit-down thought, you'll be in some kind of sit-down action. They'll have you sitting in everywhere.
In this speech, he advocates for African Americans to organize and reform their politics to gain more power. He also speaks out against the more passive politics represented by MLK, which he describes in jest as "a sit-down philosophy."
Cite this EminentEdit article |
Antoine, M. (2024, September 10). Anadiplosis. https://www.eminentediting.com/post/anadiplosis |
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