ASYNDETON: CHARACTERISTICS, FUNCTIONS AND EXAMPLES - LITERATURE - 2025

The asíndeton is a literary device that relies on the omission or placement or connective links between words or phrases intended to make the text more fluid and dynamic.

An example of asyndeton is "I loved you too much, you know, from here to Antarctica, to the moon, to infinity, always." The word asyndeton originates from the Greek asyndeton, which translates as detached. In this sense, the asyndeton consists of omitting or leaving aside the links of the words.

The asyndeton is a literary device that is based on the omission or non-placement of the connectives or links between words or phrases with the intention of making the text more fluid and dynamic. Source: lifeder.com.

The asyndeton suppresses the conjunctions, but the pauses and the tonality of the text are marked by the comma (,) which is placed between the words that make up the sentence or sentence. On the other hand, the omission of links is done knowingly or intentionally to give the content flexibility and intensity.

Characteristics of asyndeton

Asyndeton is characterized by the following aspects:

- No ties

The asyndeton is characterized by omitting the placement of links or conjunctions in order to give speed and fluidity to what is expressed.

Example:

The birds flew quickly, fragrant, gray, light, carried through the air.

- Presence of the coma

Although the asyndeton dispenses or discards conjunctions, it starts to use the comma (,) to achieve the separation of the words and at the same time provide pause to the intonation of the sentence.

Example:

"The sea that I was" (Juan Ortiz)

I walked, I wanted, I loved, I walked, I searched his eyes staring, I neglected the city, the house, the desk, the poetry, the life that was leaving me for days on the clock, and I knew more about myself, my voice, my steps, my people, my essence and my land trodden by pilgrim bulls…

What will it be? I do not know, nor will I know, nor will I feel, nor will I walk, nor will I breathe, that is the past existence of the sea that I was.

- Speed ​​up

The asyndeton speeds up the development and reading of the texts in which it is applied. In this sense, the content acquires speed and there is a turn in intonation and rhythm.

Example:

The cat would go, come, meow, purr, live, die, and all in one simple box.

- Syntactic change

The use of the asyndeton in a sentence causes the syntactic structure or the common way in which words are arranged to be slightly modified. This occurs precisely because of the absence of links.

Example:

"I was going, I was coming, I was living, Maria" for the common and ordered that it would be "Maria was coming and going, she just lived.

- Juxtaposition

The asyndeton is a literary device that occurs in the juxtaposition of sentences. That is, in those that lack conjunctions to be joined and that on the contrary are separated from each other by punctuation marks.

Example:

Pedro takes care of the dogs, Petra sweeps the front, Luis collects the leaves.

- Narrative

In general, asyndeton as a rhetorical element is applied to narrate and describe characters, actions or landscapes.

Example:

"Era" (Juan Ortiz)

It was beautiful, like life, the flowers, the dawning mangrove, the snail in the cebales, she was, so simple, so blue, so sky, so air, so necessary, so life.

He walked with his brown hair, tile eyes, palm body, pierced, tall, scathing gaze, secluded in the verb, like everything dangerous that threatens existence and gives reason to life.

Features

Asyndeton is a literary tool that authors apply with the intention of causing agility and fluidity in the text by omitting or getting rid of links and conjunctions. This technique makes the narratives, poems and statements gain expressiveness, intensity, drama and dynamism.

Now, asyndeton is used in all literary genres by virtue of its dynamic and agile character. On the other hand, this rhetorical figure is easier to identify in written language by the presence of commas. While in oral language it is specified through the pauses in the intonation of the statement.

Examples of asyndeton

In phrases

- He was young, determined, studious, prepared, careful, methodical, attentive.

- The journey was slow, tiring, stormy, noisy, uncomfortable, expensive.

- The food was cold, tasteless, tasteless, greasy, unpleasant.

- The cold, lonely, clear, dark, recent, marine night.

- The beautiful, red, smooth, elongated, fragrant flowers.

- The one-armed, skinny, forgotten, cold, dumb, ungainly, mangy, abused dog.

- The cheerful, purring, fine, agile, analytical, quiet, submissive cat.

- The fast, meandering, marine, white, sailing, light, sun, night, island ship.

- Children are happy, happy, jumping, tall, short, happy, singing.

- Chess, science, thought, life, death, wisdom, knowledge, the real, the divine.

- Music, the language of the soul, of the celestial, the divine, the hidden, the blood, the spirit.

In narrative

And he walked through the desert landscape, hot, sandy, hostile, bordered by impassable dunes. He could do that because he was meticulous, analytical, prepared, patient, if he had it he would find a way out in no time.

The seconds, minutes, hours, the day, the night, a week, another, and the third he was able to find the right way to get out of the trap that fate had set for him.

It was difficult, complicated, tough, mean, yes, but it still strengthened him.

In poetry

"It will be useless" (Juan Ortiz)

It will be useless to walk in the shadow, the light, the night, the day, the sidewalk, the road, Likewise, we would end up pale, simple, lying down, lifeless, So simple men, shells, lights turned off by something strange that brought them.

In silence, with noise, here, there, in China, USA, Spain, Beijing, each habitable place, with each surrounding sensation, we will go to the dust with bones to cost.

All light is broken, all shadow is dissolved, they widen, cut, cross, pass and invade our existence.

It will be useless, we were lucky enough to be men, human, simple, mortal, fleeting, soles of leaving early every day.

References

1. Asyndeton. (2019). Spain: Wikipedia. Recovered from: es.wikipedia.org.
2. Examples of asyndeton. (2015). (N / A): Rhetoric. Recovered from: rhetoricas.com.
3. Sancler, V. (S. f.). Asyndeton. (N / A): Euston 96. Recovered from: euston96.com.
4. Gómez & Martínez. (S. f.). Asyndeton and Polysyndeton. (N / A): Essayists. Recovered from: essayists.org.
5. Asyndeton. (2020). Spain: Dictionary of the Spanish Language. Recovered from: dle.rae.es.