"Strong, strength, strengthen the heart" is an example of which device?

• A. Anadiplosis
• B. Polyptoton
• C. Alliteration
• D. Assonance

Answer: (B)

This example uses polyptoton: the same root word is repeated in different grammatical forms. Strong, strength, and strengthen all come from the same root and appear as adjective, noun, and verb, respectively, all tied to the idea of power or firmness related to the heart. That deliberate variation of form emphasizes the concept from multiple angles.

While you can notice a shared initial letter cluster with str- in the words, the stronger feature here is the shifting part of speech and meaning of the same root, which is what polyptoton captures. It isn’t about repeating a word at the end of one clause and at the start of the next (anadiplosis), nor about repeating initial sounds as in alliteration. The focus is on the root morphing through different word forms.