III. Particular ways of combining parts of the utterance. (Linkage)

Words, phrases, clauses and sentences are connected with one another in speech. Words and phrases are mostly combined with their environment semantically, sometimes by auxiliary elements (prepositions and conjunctions). Clauses and independent sentences can be joined to one another asyndetically (in this case the connection is pure semantical); more often conjunctions or other connectors are employed.

• Asyndetonis a connection of sentences, phrases or words without any conjunctions, their deliberate omission. Asyndeton helps the author make each phrase or word sound independent and significant, it helps create the effect of energetic, active prose.

e.g. Secretly after the night fall, he visited the home of Prime Minister. He examined it from top to bottom. He measured all the doors and windows. He took up the flooring. He inspected the plumbing. He examined the furniture. He found nothing.

• Polysyndetonis an insistent repetition of a connective (the conjunction “and” in most cases) between words, phrases and clauses in an utterance. Polysendeton underlines the simultaneity of actions or close connection of properties enumerated on the one hand, and sometimes causes each member of a string of facts to stand out conspicuously, on the other.

Quite often the excessive use of the conjunction “and” betrays the poverty of the speaker’s syntax, showing the primitiveness of the character.

e.g. Presently, over James came a change, … a sense of being caressed, and praised, and petted, and all without the bestowal of a single caress or word of praise. (J. Galsworthy)

Not infrequently, polysyndeton promotes a high-flown tonality of narrative.

The elevated tonality of polysyndeton is very probably explained by associations with the style of the Bible, in which nearly every sentence, or at least every paragraph begins with and.

e.g. “Andthe rain descended,and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon the house; and it fell; and great was the fall of it.” (Mathew, VII)

Lecture 5

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