Definition: Anaphora is a type of figurative language that involves words or phrases that are not sequential or continuous in their order but instead are embedded within another form, like a quote or a story line. It's akin to an echo chamber where people hear different parts of a conversation at once without context. The word "anaphoric" comes from the Latin verb "inapriorum," which means "without prior knowledge." In the context of poetry and literature, it refers to the use of words that are not necessarily sequential or continuous in their meaning but instead are embedded within another form. It's like a placeholder where new ideas can be introduced without making sense. For example, in Shakespeare's play Macbeth, there is an anaphoric line in the first act, "I will go, and I will return; for my son, my dear," which appears to have no meaning until the subsequent lines explain why Macbeth is so determined. This allows a reader or listener to understand what he means by it without directly knowing its purpose. In summary, anaphora involves words that are not sequential or continuous in their meaning and are embedded within another form of speech or writing, like quotes or stories.

anaphoral