Controlling Pace and Creating Drama with Conjunctions Omitting conjunctions: asyndeton Multiplying conjunctions: polysyndeton Review A Review B

Omitting conjunctions: asyndeton Writers put words together to create fast action or slow motion. In his play Julius Caesar, Shakespeare gives these words to Mark Antony, to express Antony’s horror and grief at the sight of Caesar’s dead body: and Are all thy conquests, glories, triumphs, spoils, Shrunk to this little measure? ^ Usually the conjunction and would come before the last item in a series. Why did Shakespeare not use a conjunction?

Omitting conjunctions: asyndeton To find out why a great writer makes a certain choice, we need to ask . . . How does the writer’s choice affect the reader? In this case, Mark Antony’s four adjectives, without a conjunction to separate them, create intensity and abundance. Abundance Intensity Are all thy conquests, glories, triumphs, spoils, Shrunk to this little measure?

Omitting conjunctions: asyndeton The technique of omitting conjunctions in a series is called asyndeton. This term comes from an ancient Greek word that means “not together.” not together (noun) a syn deton The prefix a- means “not” or “without,” as in amorphous, “without shape.” The root -syn- means “together” or “same,” as in synchronous, “at the same time.” The ending -deton makes the word a noun.

Omitting Conjunctions: Asyndeton Asyndeton speeds up the pace of the sentence and adds emphasis, as in this example from Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. But, in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, and we cannot hallow this ground. But, in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground. No conjunction Conjunction Notice how the pace would slow if we added and. The sentence would also sound less intense.

Multiplying conjunctions: polysyndeton Sometimes writers create drama and add emphasis by slowing down the pace. Nature is so uncomfortable. Grass is hard and lumpy and damp, and full of dreadful black insects. Nature is so uncomfortable. Grass is hard and lumpy and damp, and full of dreadful black insects. Notice how Oscar Wilde accomplishes these effects by using several conjunctions in a series.

Multiplying conjunctions: polysyndeton Using only one conjunction at the end would take away the emphasis and speed up the pace. Nature is so uncomfortable. Grass is hard, lumpy, damp, and full of dreadful black insects.

Multiplying conjunctions: polysyndeton The technique of including conjunctions between every item in a series is called polysyndeton. This term, the opposite of asyndeton, means “many together” in ancient Greek. many together (noun) poly syn deton The prefix poly- means “many,” as in polygon, a shape having “many sides.” The second half of the word ,–syndeton, means “together” just as in asyndeton.

Multiplying conjunctions: polysyndeton Polysyndeton adds emphasis by presenting each item in a series separately. In Shakespeare’s play Othello, Iago prods Othello’s jealousy about his wife until Othello says passionately: If there be cords, or knives, Poison, or fire, or suffocating streams, I’ll not endure it.” (Othello, III, iii) The repetition of or makes Othello’s suffering stand out.

Adding conjunctions: polysyndeton Authors from Shakespeare to Hemingway use polysyndeton to capture the rhythm of speech and to have the reader focus on every detail. How many coordinating conjunctions can you spot in this passage from Charles Dickens’ Dombey and Son? There were frowzy fields, and cow-houses, and dunghills, and dustheaps, and ditches, and gardens, and summer-houses, and carpet-beating grounds, at the very door of the Railway. There were frowzy fields, and cow-houses, and dunghills, and dustheaps, and ditches, and gardens, and summer-houses, and carpet-beating grounds, at the very door of the Railway. 7

Controlling Pace and Creating Drama with Conjunctions On Your Own Rewrite the following sentences by either omitting or adding conjunctions. Use each strategy at least twice, and identify your revisions as either asyndeton (A) or polysyndeton (P). 1. Our picnic included wraps, drinks, pretzels, and fruit. 2. That sound could be an owl, a coyote, or the wind. 3. Planning, foresight, and dedication brought us here. 4. Left and right, up and down bobbed the kite. The new office building is economical, spacious, and energy-efficient but extraordinarily ugly. [End of Section]

Review A Describe an exciting scene in a movie. Use asyndeton in at least one sentence to create a sense of fast action for the reader.

Review B Write a paragraph that describes a suspenseful scene. Use polysyndeton in at least one sentence to allow the reader to focus on individual items in a series.

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