Don’t you just love how when you are in grade eight and you write something like: I went to the store and brought milk and egg and cheese—and your told it is incorrect?
We are giving all kinds of literary devices and at first you can’t find usage for them. Unless you are a writer, you probably would never remember them, or you’ll use them but won’t know the term and the reason why you used it.
To make your writing more exciting and create more diversity, use asyndeton and polysyndeton. They’re usually used to create a dramatic effect.
Asyndeton is a list of words or phrases or clauses which does NOT use conjunctions, often resulting in a hurried rhythm or vehement effect.
Examples:
My heart breaks into two every time I meet his smile, his touch, his laugh, his love. (Me)
Her lips, her hair, her eyes, her skin drew gentle sighs from her lover’s heart. (English Teacher)
This is the villain among you who deceived you, who cheated you, who meant to betray you completely. (Aristotle)
Polysyndeton, on the other hand is used to create a slow, empathic rhythm. This device stresses equally each member in a series/ the items in the series are joined by a coordinator, such as and, but, or, nor, for, so.
Examples:
On the other side of the moon lies menacing shadows of demonic creatures and standing in opposition with the sun, the moon sulks and calls with beady lushes and its hungry glares and luminous eyes shine with mischief as it beckons that hidden glimpse of debauchery inside all of us. (Me)
She then got up from the table and went to the telephone and looked the number up and called the school and got the drama teacher and identified herself and told him that her daughter wouldn’t be coming to school that night. (The Rake)
Tagged: adive, asyndeton, device, lit, polysyndeton