Device used in "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times"

• Repetition of words at the starts of successive phrases, in rhetoric
• Word repetition
• Repetition of a word or phrase as the beginning of successive clauses
• Poet's repetition for effect

Wikipedia Word definitions in Wikipedia
In linguistics , anaphora is the use of an expression whose interpretation depends upon another expression in context (its antecedent or postcedent). In a narrower sense, anaphora is the use of an expression that depends specifically upon an antecedent ...

Wiktionary Word definitions in Wiktionary
n. 1 (context rhetoric English) The repetition of a phrase at the beginning of phrases, sentences, or verses, used for emphasis. 2 (context linguistics English) An expression that can refer to virtually any referent, the specific referent being defined ...

Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary Word definitions in Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
"repetition of a word or phrase in successive clauses," 1580s, from Latin, from Greek anaphora "reference," literally "a carrying back," from anapherein "to carry back, to bring up," from ana "back" (see ana- ) + pherein "to bear" (see infer ).