You may nicely by no means have heard of polysyndeton earlier than, however you’ve virtually definitely seen it in motion. Right here’s an instance:
“On the weekend, we went to the park and the truthful and the swimming pool and the film theatre.”
Polysyndeton means repeating conjunctions while you don’t want them. Right here’s how The Write Follow defines it:
“Polysyndeton is a literary approach wherein conjunctions (e.g. and, however, or) are used repeatedly in fast succession, typically with no commas, even when the conjunctions might be eliminated.”
Polysyndeton tends to gradual the reader down, and it additionally has the impact of constructing every merchandise listed within the sentence seem to have equal weight. (In common writing – which makes use of syndeton – the ultimate merchandise can typically appear extra essential or important, attributable to it getting a conjunction slightly than a comma.)
Listed below are some extra examples, utilizing totally different conjunctions:
“Desire a sandwich? You can have ham or cheese or salad or salami.”
“I went to the store however they had been out of potatoes however I regarded for pasta as an alternative however there was none however I did discover some rice.”
Results of Polysyndeton (and Examples)
Relying on the language with which it’s used, polysyndeton can:
#1: Give a breathless or excited really feel to the writing:
Mrs. Hurst and her sister allowed it to be so—however nonetheless they admired her and preferred her, and pronounced her to be a candy woman, and one whom they might not object to know extra of.
(From Satisfaction and Prejudice, Jane Austen)
#2: Assist create the impact of a kid’s voice:
He was caught within the whirl of a scrimmage and, scared of the flashing eyes and muddy boots, bent right down to look via their legs. The fellows had been struggling and groaning and their legs had been rubbing and kicking and stamping.
(From A Portrait of the Artist as a Younger Man, James Joyce)
#3: Pile issues collectively in order that the general efficient is numbing or distancing:
I mentioned, “Who killed him?” and he mentioned, “I don’t know who killed him however he’s useless all proper,” and it was darkish and there was water standing on the street and no lights and home windows broke and boats all up within the city and bushes blown down and the whole lot all blown and I acquired a skiff and went out and discovered my boat the place I had her inside Mango Key and he or she was all proper solely she was stuffed with water.
(From “After the Storm”, a brief story by Ernest Hemingway)
#4: Add Weight or Gravity to the Phrases
Neither snow nor rain nor warmth nor gloom of night time stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.
(Unofficial motto of the US postal workplace)
Asyndeton: The Reverse of Polysyndeton
The other of polysydeton is asyndeton, the place conjunctions are omitted altogether – that means there’s no last “and” or “or” in a sentence.
The third sentence right here is an effective instance:
Night time gathers, and now my watch begins. It shall not finish till my demise. I shall take no spouse, maintain no lands, father no youngsters.
(From the oath made by the Night time’s Watch in Recreation of Thrones)
Examples of Polysyndeton in Speeches
In addition to being utilized in writing, polysyndeton (and its reverse, asyndeton) can be utilized as a rhetorical machine when giving a speech.
Each have an effect on the rhythm and velocity of a sentence, so that they’re notably suited to creating listeners pay particular consideration to the phrases.
Listed below are a couple of examples of polysyndeton utilized in speeches:
In years passed by, there have been in each neighborhood women and men who spoke the language of obligation and morality and loyalty and obligation.
(William F. Buckley, founding father of Nationwide Assessment)
We’ll construct new roads, and highways, and bridges, and airports, and tunnels, and railways all throughout our fantastic nation.
(President Trump, inaugural deal with)
I ask you to look again in your moments of powerlessness. Look again to that second the place you needed to get in your knees and scrub and sweep and mop and wax and buff and buff and buff and rebuff, and buff once more, a ground that somebody was going to stroll on and possibly scuff two minutes later. That feeling is what it’s to be human.
Humble your self and settle for your humanity – and don’t deny it in others. While you lead your individuals, exude that understanding of a battle and a struggle – and struggle for them, and be for them.
(DeCarol Davis, U.S. Coast Guard Academy Cadet Graduation Handle)
You’ve most likely come throughout loads of examples of polysyndeton in stuff you’ve learn or heard – and you could nicely have used it in your personal writing.
Now you recognize what it’s, look out for alternatives to make use of it extra consciously, to attain particular results in your work.