Weekly Author Tip: Asyndeton and Polysyndeton

[Assurbanipal_II]

To contribute to the general knowledge, we will discuss today two rhetorical devices, the asyndeton, and the polysyndeton.

What are they?

Both, the asyndeton as well as the polysyndeton, are closely related and describes different approaches to sentences construction when it comes to conjunction use.

Usually, we use conjunctions to join clauses and objects. We use them selectively. The asyndeton and the polysyndeton, however, ignore the latter rule completely. Many of you might use them already unconsciously.

The polysyndeton is the deliberate repeated use of conjunctions to create a continuous flow and slow down the sentence.

Example:

And soon it lightly dipped, and rose, and sank,

We have here a rhythmic repetition achieved through the use of and. It is a perfectly viable use and grammatically correct.

Now the asyndeton. It is the contrary, the deliberate omission of conjunctions to speed up the rhythm. You hurry the reader. You have a sense of urgency. You have unbound sentences, either through the use of commata or periods.

Example:

"We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our Island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender. . ."

We have here a coordination of sentences only held together by commata. No and. No or. And it works.

 

[Shrimp_eater]

Cool, there's tons of things like that we use but won't be aware there was a name for them.

Do you know if there is a term for a third-person narrator that is occasionaly "possessed" by the characters thoughts? I tend to use it quite a bit:

Dailah wasn't really scared, she just wondered why Scariot picked that of all things. Maybe to go along the mood of this place?

Again, its not that Dailah was scared, just perplexed.

She truly wasn't scared. At all!

 

[Assurbanipal_II]

Cool, there's tons of things like that we use but won't be aware there was a name for them.

Do you know if there is a term for a third-person narrator that is occasionaly "possessed" by the characters thoughts? I tend to use it quite a bit:

3rd person limited.

 

[Shrimp_eater]

3rd person limited.

Huh, i thought that refered mostly to a narrator that had limited information from the characters perspectives.

But yeah, seems it also emcompasses the notion of the narrator experiencing their thoughts and emotions as well.

 

[Assurbanipal_II]

Huh, i thought that refered mostly to a narrator that had limited information from the characters perspectives.

But yeah, seems it also emcompasses the notion of the narrator experiencing their thoughts and emotions as well.

Depends how coloured your narrator is. Is it objective? Or not? Omniscient, or not.

 

[Forestbear]

How interesting. ?

 

[Shrimp_eater]

Depends how coloured your narrator is. Is it objective? Or not? Omniscient, or not.

I would describe it as an evil ghost that occasionally watches over and connects with the minds of the characters. Neither objective nor omniscient.

 

[CarburetorThompson]

I thought polysyndeton was a type of plastic

 

[DemonOppai]

I want a yandere narrator

 

[Shrimp_eater]

I want a yandere narrator

Dainn smoked a cigarette in all his splendor as he watched the city lights from the pier. The cool breeze disheveled his glossy hair seductively.

From behind, sluggishly came the disgusting wench who insisted on asking the handsome man out, demonstrating her inability to perceive her place in the food chain. Possibly a result of brain damage.

"You came Charlot, your dress is beautiful this night as well." - Said Dainn, his eyes clearly not used to the dark yet.

"Thank you Dainn, shall we go?" - The pitful girl answered, hopelessly expecting him to hold any iota of affection for her.

Dainn held Harlot's hand, his kind heart willing to guide the cognitively impaired woman through the night. No matter how hateful a person may be, he would always reach out to them. That's what made the man so incredible and loveable.

 

[RepresentingSilence]

 

[TheEldritchGod]

I just wing it.

 

[DemonOppai]

Dainn smoked a cigarette in all his splendor as he watched the city lights from the pier. The cool breeze disheveled his glossy hair seductively.

From behind, sluggishly came the disgusting wench who insisted on asking the handsome man out, demonstrating her inability to perceive her place in the food chain. Possibly a result of brain damage.

"You came Charlot, your dress is beautiful this night as well." - Said Dainn, his eyes clearly not used to the dark yet.

"Thank you Dainn, shall we go?" - The pitful girl answered, hopelessly expecting him to hold any iota of affection for her.

Dainn held Harlot's hand, his kind heart willing to guide the cognitively impaired woman through the night. No matter how hateful a person may be, he would always reach out to them. That's what made the man so incredible and loveable.

Perfect hahah

 

[CupcakeNinja]

To contribute to the general knowledge, we will discuss today two rhetorical devices, the asyndeton, and the polysyndeton.

What are they?

Both, the asyndeton as well as the polysyndeton, are closely related and describes different approaches to sentences construction when it comes to conjunction use.

Usually, we use conjunctions to join clauses and objects. We use them selectively. The asyndeton and the polysyndeton, however, ignore the latter rule completely. Many of you might use them already unconsciously.

The polysyndeton is the deliberate repeated use of conjunctions to create a continuous flow and slow down the sentence.

Example:

And soon it lightly dipped, and rose, and sank,

We have here a rhythmic repetition achieved through the use of and. It is a perfectly viable use and grammatically correct.

Now the asyndeton. It is the contrary, the deliberate omission of conjunctions to speed up the rhythm. You hurry the reader. You have a sense of urgency. You have unbound sentences, either through the use of commata or periods.

Example:

"We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our Island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender. . ."

We have here a coordination of sentences only held together by commata. No and. No or. And it works.

crazy how i've been using this shit all my life and never knew that it had names and that i dont care either because the names are hard to pronounce and give me war flashbacks to when i first learned math has letters.

 

[Assurbanipal_II]

crazy how i've been using this shit all my life and never knew that it had names and that i dont care either because the names are hard to pronounce and give me war flashbacks to when i first learned math has letters.

Spoken like a true Murican.

 

[CupcakeNinja]

Spoken like a true Murican.

fuck yeah, brother. Been using the techniques all my life without knowing them, dunno why i should care about the names now. Maybe they shouldn't sound so retarded first, then we'll get somewhere.

 

[RepresentingWrath]

fuck yeah, brother. Been using the techniques all my life without knowing them, dunno why i should care about the names now. Maybe they shouldn't sound so retarded first, then we'll get somewhere.

based

 

[Assurbanipal_II]

fuck yeah, brother. Been using the techniques all my life without knowing them, dunno why i should care about the names now. Maybe they shouldn't sound so retarded first, then we'll get somewhere.

based

 

[CupcakeNinja]

dont look so disheartened, Ass-kun. All knowledge is valued, useful or otherwise. I may not value it, but surely there is some nerd out in the vast starry sky who will

 

[Assurbanipal_II]

dont look so disheartened, Ass-kun. All knowledge is valued, useful or otherwise. I may not value it, but surely there is some nerd out in the vast starry sky who will

I am not disheartened. I expected your response and your reaction. I am merely shaking my head.