EPISTROPHE

//A cleric who, unlike their sibling Anaphora, prefers keeping the same outcome. They seek to create a sense of welcome comfort by reiterating that at the end of the day, things will return to what they always were.

// CLERIC

//In a fight, they focus on its end, always repeating the same procedure of treating their allies and comforting their uncertainties of the future.

“Sure, I sometimes wish my quarantine was another quarantine, and I sometimes wish my marriage had been another marriage, but when have I ever lived inside my own life without that restlessness?”

-Leslie Jamison, ‘Since I Became Symptomatic’

The repetition of “quarantine” and “marriage” with the change in modifier from “my” to “another” conveys a sense of somber, and even bitter, reflection by returning to the same concept within the phrase with a wishful and regretful modification. In the context of the rest of the frustration built within this piece, this epistrophe illustrates more of the same themes of longing for a change or escape.

“Can ever dissever my soul from the soul
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee.
For the moon never beams without bringing me dreams
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And the stars never rise but I feel the bright eyes
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;”
-Edgar Allen Poe

The return to "the beautiful Annabel Lee" every time portrays the image that no matter the topic, the speaker is always reflecting on Annabel Lee, reiterating her importance in their life.

“Cause if you liked it then you should've put a ring on it.
If you liked it then you should've put a ring on it.
Don't be mad once you see that he want it.
If you liked it then you should've put a ring on it.”
-Beyoncé, Single Ladies

The repetition of "you should've put a ring on it," specifically the "should've," drives home the point that the listener made a mistake in their inaction and fosters a feeling of guilt and regret.

(It's also just a bop)

“If you fear the unknown, then you can always return to the known after your journey.”

REFLECTION

For Epistrophe, similar to Asyndeton/Polysyndeton, I paired them with Anaphora and focused on the differences. In thinking of a class for this character, I thought of what you mentioned about how anaphora is like a constant jump forward while epistrophe felt like a return to a known comfort. Therefore, I played into this and made them a cleric as a dependable ally to always be waiting for their party's return. As for the goat portion, I just felt like it would contribute to this comfort/no harm vibe I was going for. The horizontal pupils always reinforce an herbivore to me, so I thought it might help.