Anaphora is the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses, phrases, or sentences. It creates a strong rhythm and emphasis, drawing attention to the repeated phrase and making the speaker's message more memorable.
For example:
* "We shall not fail. We shall not falter. We shall not yield." (Winston Churchill)
* "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood. I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice." (Martin Luther King Jr.)
It's important to distinguish anaphora from epiphora, which is the repetition of the same word or phrase at the end of successive clauses, phrases, or sentences.