A polysyndeton is a literary device where you repeat conjunctions in close succession. In other words, you create a list using only conjunctions instead of the usual commas. For instance:
She loved all sorts of animals, like horses and dogs and pigs.
In contrast, the asyndeton is a literary device where you omit the conjunctions. Like this:
She loved all sorts of animals, like horses, dogs, pigs.
Previously, we discussed anaphora and epistrophe, literary devices that also use a form of repetition. In this article, we’ll dive deeper into polysyndeton and asyndeton and how you can use them in your writing.
What is polysyndeton?
The word polysyndeton comes from Greek, meaning “many connected” or “bound together.” This literary device uses repetitions of the same conjunction, such as “and,” “but,” “or,” and “if.”
It’s used to emphasize a set of words or phrases. It forces the reader to slow their rhythm so that each word or phrase has equal emphasis.
Here are some examples of the polysyndeton:
Mrs. Hurst and her sister allowed it to be so—but still they admired her and like her, and pronounced her to be a sweet girl, and one whom they would not object to know more of. (Pride and Prejudice)
With both of us hunting daily, there are still nights when game has to be swapped for lard or shoelaces or wool, still nights when we go to bed with our stomachs growling. (The Hunger Games)
There were mostly families walking together, usually accompanied by a dog, children running around, yelling and laughing and playing. (Illuminated)
Why would you use polysyndeton?
When you use a literary device in your writing, you don’t want to use it just for the fun of it. You want it to add something to your story.
You use a polysyndeton for several reasons, mostly because it adds emphasis. Your reader will focus more on those words, thus conveying a certain emotion and adding a certain rhythm.
A polysyndeton creates a sort of “piling up” effect.
For instance, in the example from Pride and Prejudice, the polysyndeton is used to emphasize how much they appreciate her to add a sense of enthusiasm. While in The Hunger Games, it gives the lard, shoelaces, and wool an equal weight. Lard isn’t worth more than wool, here.
In Illuminated, I emphasized the merriment of the children to contrast this with Nikki’s strained relationship with her father—once, she’d been one of these children.
If you have a young narrator, using the occasional polysyndeton can also help to create a childlike voice.
As with all things, don’t overdo it. If you use a polysyndeton too often, it loses its effect and becomes obvious to the reader.
In contrast: asyndeton
Asyndeton is, as the name suggests, a related literary device.
The asyndeton omits the conjunctions. So, where a polysyndeton requires the reader to slow down, the asyndeton changes the tone by speeding up. It still adds emphasis to the words, but it changes the tone and the rhythm.
Consider the examples above. Let’s change them by using the asyndeton.
Mrs. Hurst and her sister allowed it to be so—but still they admired her and liked her, pronounced her to be a sweet girl, one whom they would not object to know more of. (Pride and Prejudice)
With both of us hunting daily, there are still nights when game has to be swapped for lard, shoelaces, wool, still nights when we go to bed with our stomachs growling. (The Hunger Games)
There were mostly families walking together, usually accompanied by a dog, children running around, yelling, laughing, playing. (Illuminated)
Try to read these sentences out loud, first with the polysyndeton and then with the asyndeton. Do you feel how the asyndeton is more hurried? With the example of Pride and Prejudice, it now feels as if they hurriedly try to give reassurance that they like her, which makes you question more if this is actually the case.
With The Hunger Games, the lard, shoelaces, and wool don’t seem as important anymore, making the swapping feel less important.
With Illuminated, the hurried tone makes it seem as if the narrator doesn’t want to pay attention to it.
Using polysyndeton and asyndeton in your writing
Adding these literary devices to your writing is fairly simple. Anytime you have a list-like sentence, you can either repeat the conjunction or remove it.
However, just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.
Think about the effect you want to create. What kind of emotion do you want to convey? Do you want the reader to slow down or speed up? Read the paragraph out loud. Does it have the right rhythm?
It’s always a good idea to practice any new writing tool consciously. Write some practice paragraphs deliberately using a polysyndeton or asyndeton. See what the effect is when you use it.
Once you’ve practiced it enough, it’ll become ingrained in your writing practice.
Have fun with it!