XIII Международная студенческая научная конференция Студенческий научный форум - 2021

Asyndeton is connection between parts of a sentence or between sentences without any formal sign. As a stylistic device it is a deliberate omission of the connective where it is generally expected to be according to the norms of the literary language. Asyndeton is derived from the Greek word asyndeton, which means “unconnected.” It is a stylistic device used in literature and poetry to intentionally eliminate conjunctions between the phrases, and in the sentence, yet maintain grammatical accuracy.

Its use can have the effect of speeding up the rhythm of a passage and making a single idea more memorable. Asyndeton helps in creating a strong impact and such sentences have greater recall worth since the idea is presented. For example, a Latin phrase popularly attributed to Julius Caesar – veni, vidi, vici – “I came, I saw, I conquered”.

Asyndeton also helps in attracting readers to collaborate with the writers, since it suggests that words, phrases, and sentences are incomplete, and the readers would have to do some work to deduce meanings. Asyndeton is often applied intentionally in order to give a unique emphasis to the text, thereby drawing the attention of readers towards a particular idea the author wants to convey. For example, “Accursed, unhappy, wretched, hateful day!”; “Beguiled, divorced, wronged, spirited, slain!” (“Romeo & Juliet” by W. Shakespeare).

Asyndeton can create a sense of accelerated or slowed rhythm, emotional distress or excitement, or emphasis. Authors may use asyndeton to speed up a passage and propel a reader toward a conclusion. For example, “Consciousness of place came ebbing back to him slowly over a vast tract of time unlit, unfelt, unlived…” (“A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man” by J. Joyce). Asyndeton is used here in order to give rhythm and pace to the text. It creates a frantic and hurried effect. The use of asyndeton can also be to highlight the connection between words or concepts to show how they are related.

Polysyndeton is the stylistic device of connecting sentences, or phrases, or syntagms, or words by using connectives (mostly conjunctions and prepositions) before each component part. For example: “The heaviest rain, and snow, and hail, and sleet, could boast of the advantage over him in only one respect.” (Dickens)

The repetition of conjunctions and other means of connection makes an utterance more rhythmical. The conjunctions and other connectives, being generally unstressed elements, when placed before each meaningful member, will cause the alternation of stressed and unstressed syllables—the essential requirement of rhythm in verse. This is a rhythmical function of polysyndeton.

Disintegrating function of polysyndeton consists in combining homogeneous elements of thought into one whole resembling enumeration. But, unlike enumeration, polysyndeton causes each member of a string of facts to stand out conspicuously and shows them isolated not united.

Authors use polysyndeton in poetry and prose for many different reasons. One author might use polysyndeton to speed up a passage, while another might use it to slow down a list of related clauses. Polysyndeton may also create an overwhelming feeling: “If there be cords, or knives, or poison, or fire, or suffocating streams, I'll not endure it” (“Othello” by W. Shakespeare). Here polysyndeton illustrates the numerous ways that a person might die. Othello recites this list to show how serious he is that he does not desire to live if he finds out that Desdemona’s betrayal is true. The polysyndeton emphasizes that Othello will stop at nothing to find out the truth and dole out the consequences.

The Gap-Sentence Link (GSL) is a peculiar type of connection of sentences. The connection is not immediately apparent and it requires a certain effort to analyze the interrelation between the parts of the utterance. Here is an example: “She and that fellow ought to be the sufferers, and they were in Italy.” (Galsworthy). In this sentence the second part, which is connected to the first by the conjunction and, seems to be unmotivated or, in other words, the whole sentence seems to be logically incoherent. But this is only the first impression. After a more careful semantic analysis it becomes clear that the exact logical variant of the utterance would be: “Those who ought to suffer were enjoying themselves in Italy (where rich English people go for holydays)”.

The Gap-Sentence Link is a way of connecting two sentences seemingly unconnected and leaving it to the reader to grasp the implied, but not worded idea. Generally speaking, every detail of the situation need not be stated. Some must remain for the reader to guess.

In writing, where the situation is explained by the writer and the intonation is only guessed at, such breaks in the utterance are regarded as stylistic devices. The gap-sentence link requires a certain mental effort to embrace the unexpressed additional information.

The gap-sentence link is generally indicated by “and” or “but”. For example: “It was an afternoon to dream. And she took out Jon's letters." (Galsworthy). The Gap-Sentence Link has various functions: it signals the introduction of inner represented speech, usually with the help of “but”, “and”; it indicates a subjective evaluation of the facts; it displays an unexpected connection of ideas. All in all, the gap-sentence link aims at stirring up in the reader’s mind the suppositions, associations and conditions under which the sentence can really exist.

List of references:

Galperin I.R. English Stylistics. Moscow: USSR, 2014. 333 p.

Gurevich V.V. English Stylistics. Moscow: Flinta: Nauka, 2008 p.

Literary devices. Asyndeton. http://www.literarydevices.com/asyndeton/

Asyndeton. Definition and examples. https://literarydevices.net/asyndeton/

Literary devices. Polysyndeton. http://www.literarydevices.com/polysyndeton/

Polysyndeton. Definition and examples. https://literarydevices.net/polysyndeton/