Homework question for english expert...

[tesco]

In this book i'm reading, I want to know the proper "literary device" name that's used here.
In this chapter it's just a series of letters that someone received, which also tells the story.

From 1 certain person, the first letter ends with:

Sincerely,
Jay W. Dudley, Editor
And over time, to show how they have become closer and gotten to know eachother more, and become friends, the end of the letters becomes simpler like

Sincerely,
J.W.D., Editor
then

Sincerely,
Jay Dudley
then

Sincerely,
Jay
and finally in the end of chapter

Yours,
J.


I know that repeating the same phrase over and over at end of paragraphs is called alliteration but what would it be called in this case where it is the same but changes.
What other literary devices could be in here?

Thanks.

[Carcinus]

Alliteration is the repetition of the same sounds within the same sentence or paragraph, such as "The wholesome hooker hurled a halo at the angel", not the same phrase at the end of the sentence. I can't remember what that's called.

[tesco]

Oops meant anaphora.

edit: apparantly anaphora is only for the first few words not last. :/

[Cheese]

Oops meant anaphora.

edit: apparantly anaphora is only for the first few words not last. :/
Do you maybe mean epistrophe instead of anaphora? As the chapter is written all in letters you could also say that it is an epistolary (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epistolary)chapter.

Therefore, it is an epistolary chapter employing epistrophe.

Edit: Actually, I'm not that sire about the epistrophe bit. Try this site (http://rhetoric.byu.edu/).

[tesco]

Epistrophe looks right.
Thanks for that.

But would it still be an epistrophe even though 1 or 2 words are being changed each time?

[JPaul]

Oops meant anaphora.

edit: apparantly anaphora is only for the first few words not last. :/
Do you maybe mean epistrophe instead of anaphora? As the chapter is written all in letters you could also say that it is an epistolary (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epistolary)chapter.

Therefore, it is an epistolary chapter employing epistrophe.

Edit: Actually, I'm not that sire about the epistrophe bit. Try this site (http://rhetoric.byu.edu/).
Good post, well presented.

[Cheese]

Epistrophe looks right.
Thanks for that.

But would it still be an epistrophe even though 1 or 2 words are being changed each time?

You could say that it employs an effect like epistrophe and then say how if differs (ie words are omitted to imply familiarity). There probably is a word for this effect but I don't know it.

Defiently make note of the epistolary nature of the chapter though (and don't confuse epistolary with epistrophe).

[tesco]

Epistrophe looks right.
Thanks for that.

But would it still be an epistrophe even though 1 or 2 words are being changed each time?

You could say that it employs an effect like epistrophe and then say how if differs (ie words are omitted to imply familiarity). There probably is a word for this effect but I don't know it.

Defiently make note of the epistolary nature of the chapter though (and don't confuse epistolary with epistrophe).
Thanks cheese.

[Cheese]

You could say that it employs an effect like epistrophe and then say how if differs (ie words are omitted to imply familiarity). There probably is a word for this effect but I don't know it.

Defiently make note of the epistolary nature of the chapter though (and don't confuse epistolary with epistrophe). Thanks cheese.

No problem, let us know how it goes.