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Polysyndeton
sentence "I went home because I had to eat dinner" the meaning
DEFINITION of the second, dependent clause ("because I had to eat dinner")
only makes sense in the context of the first, independent clause.
What is polysyndeton? Here’s a quick and simple definition:
There's obviously a lot more nuance and detail to coordinating and
Polysyndeton is a figure of speech in which coordinating
subordinating conjunctions. But in terms of polysyndeton, you only
conjunctions—words such as "and," "or," and "but" that join
need to know one main thing: polysyndeton is the inclusion of
other words or clauses in a sentence into relationships of
multiple coordinating conjunctions. It won't ever apply to
equal importance—are used several times in close
subordinating conjunctions.
succession, particularly where conjunctions would normally
not be present at all. For instance, the following sentence
contains polysyndeton: "We ate roast beef and squash and Polysynde
olysyndetton in Single Sent
Sentenc
ences
es and Multiple
biscuits and potatoes and corn and cheese and cherry pie." Sent
Sentenc
ences
es
Polysyndeton can appear within a single sentence, but it can also
Some additional key details about polysyndeton:
appear as a series of independent sentences. This passage from
• The use of polysyndeton can slow down the rhythm of a phrase, Edgar Allan Poe's story "Silence" contains polysyndeton within
make it more memorable, or emphasize each individual item in a individual sentences and between sentences (note "And the lynx..."):
list. It can also be used to make the items in a list seem to pile up,
one atop another, giving the reader a sense of being And as the Demon made an end of his story, he fell back
overwhelmed. within the cavity of the tomb and laughed. And I could not
laugh with the Demon, and he cursed me because I could
• Polysyndeton often appears in conversation as a natural way of
not laugh. And the lynx which dwelleth forever in the tomb,
speaking, and it can also be used in writing when the desired
came out therefrom, and lay down at the feet of the Demon,
effect is to mimic everyday speech. This is especially true in
and looked at him steadily in the face.
speeches, dramatic monologues, or when a character or speaker
is exuberantly childlike.
• Both the King James Bible and Shakespeare frequently use
Polysynde
olysyndetton vs. R
Rela
elatted T
Terms
erms
polysyndeton. Polysyndeton is related to two other figures of speech, asyndeton and
syndeton, that have to do with how many conjunctions are used to
coordinate the words or clauses of a sentence. It is also related to
Polysynde
olysyndetton Pr
Pronuncia
onunciation
tion
parataxis, which, like polysyndeton, joins ideas in relationships of
Here's how to pronounce polysyndeton: pol-ee-sin
sin-dih-tahn equal importance.

A Primer on Coor
Coordina
dinating
ting Conjunc
Conjunctions
tions and Polysynde
olysyndetton vs. A
Asynde
syndetton
Polysynde
olysyndetton The prefix "a" means "not" or "without," so asyndeton means that
To more fully understand polysyndeton, it's helpful to understand the conjunctions have been omitted where they would normally appear.
basics of what coordinating conjunctions are. To put it simply, Asyndeton, then, is essentially the opposite of polysyndeton.
conjunctions in general are words that join parts of a sentence and, in Asyndeton can achieve some of the same effects of emphasis as
joining them, define a relationship between those parts. Those polysyndeton can, but it is also unique in its ability to speed up the
relationships can be equal or unequal: pace of a narrative and eliminate implications of hierarchy. There is a
good example of both qualities in Joseph Conrad's novel Heart of
• Coor
Coordina
dinating
ting cconjunc
onjunctions
tions create equal relationships between Darkness:
parts of a sentence, such that the parts of the sentence are related
but not dependent on each other. The most common "An empty stream, a great silence, an impenetrable forest.
coordinating conjunctions are for or, and
and, nor
nor, but
but, or
or, yet, and so The air was thick, warm, heavy, sluggish."
(which conveniently spells out the acronym "Fanboys" to help you
remember them). The sentence "I went home and I ate dinner," is By eliminating the "and" in these sentences, the pace is quickened.
one in which the clauses are equal. The reader is not asked to see a sequence of sights; the hierarchy is
• Subor
Subordina
dinating
ting cconjunc
onjunctions
tions create a relationship in which one eliminated, and all of these sensations and objects should be seen
clause of the sentence depends on the other. For instance, in the and experienced at once. Because of asyndeton, the reader

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experiences the same overwhelming sense of the jungle that the Examples of P
Polysynde
olysyndetton in Lit
Liter
eraatur
turee
narrator is experiencing.
Because polysyndeton is a common habit of everyday speech, writers
often use it to create realistic dialects for their characters, especially
Polysynde
olysyndetton vs. Synde
Syndetton when those characters are young or exhibit a childlike excitement. It
Syndeton refers to sentences that have a single conjunction between can also be used to slow down the pace of a passage, or to create an
the parts of the sentence being joined. The word comes from the onslaught of description such that the reader experiences a sense of
Greek, sundetos, which means "bound together with." "Why were you being overwhelmed. Polysyndeton is also prevalent in the Bible,
late, unprepared, and wearing the wrong uniform?" is an example of though for that same reason some critics might say that
syndeton. Put another way, syndeton is how conjunctions are polysyndetons, when overused, can make a story feel didactic or
normally handled, and polysyndeton and asyndeton are departures stilted.
from that normal construction.
Polysynde
olysyndetton in Car
Carson
son McC
McCuller s'ss The Member of the Wedding
ullers'
Polysynde
olysyndetton vs. P
Par
araataxis In this example from Carson McCullers's novel The Member of the
Parataxis is another figure of speech that's related to polysyndeton. Wedding, polysyndeton allows the reader to enter the frame of mind
The word parataxis comes from the Greek and means "placing side by of the novel's protagonist, Frankie:
side." In parataxis, words, phrases, clauses, or sentences are placed
next to each other with equal weight, such that none are "It was four o'clock in the afternoon and the kitchen was
subordinated to another. Sometimes these different elements of a square and gray and quiet. Frankie sat at the table with her
sentence are linked as equals using coordinating conjunctions. eyes half closed, and she thought about a wedding."
So while parataxis focuses on the equality of elements and
By placing an "and" between "square" and "gray" and again between
polysyndeton focuses on the inclusion of an abundance of
"gray" and "quiet," the kitchen is described gradually. A slower pace
conjunctions, the two devices can often overlap. There's a good
makes sense for this scene, where 12-year-old Frankie experiences an
example of this in a description from Joan Didion's book of essays,
epiphany. Perhaps this can be best imagined in terms of film: a
Slouching Toward Bethlehem:
character has a realization, and slowly, the camera pans around the
room as the character becomes hyper aware of their surroundings,
"I was late to meet someone but I stopped at Lexington
and subsequently, their thoughts.
Avenue and bought a peach and stood on the corner eating
it and knew that I had come out of the West and reached the
mirage. I could taste the peach and feel the soft air blowing Polysynde
olysyndetton in Shak
Shakespe
espear e'ss Othello
are'
from a subway grating on my legs and I could smell lilac and In this example from Act 3, Scene 3 of Shakespeare's Othello,
garbage and expensive perfume..." polysyndeton is used for a short but exhausting list:

This example is both parataxis and polysyndeton—parataxis because "If there be cords, or knives, or poison, or fire, or suffocating
all the clauses have equal weight, with none dependent on any other, streams, I'll not endure it."
and polysyndeton because of all those "ands."
However, not all parataxis involves conjunctions, and so not all Here, Shakespeare only lists five possibilities of punishment.
parataxis is polysyndeton. In addition, not all polysyndeton is However, because of the repeated "or," the items in the list seem to
parataxis. The earlier Poe example, "And
And I could not laugh with the pile up and the entire list feels much longer, making it almost
demon, and he cursed me because I could not laugh..." is an example exhausting to read. In this moment, Othello is just beginning to
of polysyndeton, but it isn't parataxis because the sentence contains believe that his wife Desdemona might be unfaithful (because Iago is
the subordinating conjunction "because," which makes the clauses tricking him into thinking such things). The way that polysyndeton
uneven, with one dependent on the other. makes the list seem overwhelming captures how Othello himself is
unable to escape his feverish fears of his wife's infidelity.

EX
EXAMPLES
AMPLES Examples of P
Polysynde
olysyndetton in Music
Polysyndeton regularly appears in song lyrics. Because it sounds like
Polysyndeton appears frequently in everyday speech as an
regular speech and, at the same time, gives that speech a sense of
unconscious habit, but it is also often used purposefully by writers,
rhythm and emphasis through repeated conjunctions, polysyndeton
orators, and musicians for stylistic effects.
offers many valuable effects for songwriting.

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Polysynde
olysyndetton in Amy Winehouse'
Winehouse'ss "V
"Valerie"
alerie" polysyndeton, Reagain was able to communicate the human scale of
Amy Winehouse famously recorded a cover of the song "Valerie" the tragedy.
(originally by The Zutons) for her Back to Black album. This song
shows how polysyndeton can create a natural rhythm: Polysynde
olysyndetton in Ur
Ursula
sula K. LLee Guin'
Guin'ss ""A
A LLeft
eft-Handed
-Handed
Commenc
Commencement
ement Addr
Address"
ess" aatt Mills Colle
Collegge, 1983
"Well, sometimes I go out by myself / And I look across the In this example from Ursula K. Le Guin's commencement address, the
water / And I think of all the things / What you're doing / And irregular structure of polysyndeton emphasizes certain words to
in my head I paint a picture." activate a particular emotion:

This is the first chorus in a song about missing a loved one. If the "And
And when you fail, and are defeated, and in pain, and in the
conjunction "and" were not repeated, the pace would be significantly dark, then I hope you will remember that darkness is your
faster and would not give the listener time to linger in this feeling of country, where you live, where no wars are fought and no
longing. wars are won, but where the future is."

Polysynde
olysyndetton in Bob Dylan'
Dylan'ss "Mas
"Mastter
erss of W
War"
ar" This structure highlights the terms "fail," "defeated," "pain," and
Dylan's song "Masters of War" shows how polysyndeton can be used "dark." This might initially seem like an odd choice for a
to build a specific emotion: commencement address, which is typically expected to uplift and
galvanize graduates, but Le Guin masterfully focuses on inevitable
"And
And I hope that you die / And your death'll come soon / I failure and darkness in order to bring her audience toward hope.
will follow your casket / In the pale afternoon / And I'll watch Thus, Le Guin's use of polysyndeton makes the graduating students
while you're lowered / Down to your deathbed / And I'll see that failure and pain are inevitable parts of life, and that the
stand over your grave / 'Til I'm sure that you're dead" willingness to experience failure and pain is a prerequisite to humility,
peace, and progress.
Anger and disgust are palpable in the final lines of Bob Dylan's song
of protest against the politicians behind the Vietnam War. By using
polysyndeton, Dylan continues to add phrase after phrase, far beyond WHY WRITER
WRITERSSU
USE
SE IT
where listeners might expect him to stop, to fully communicate the
depth of his fury and his hatred for the politicians he calls the Writers use polysyndeton for a variety of different effects and
"masters of war." purposes, depending upon the context. The more common reasons
include:

Examples of P
Polysynde
olysyndetton in Speeches • The pauses created by polysyndeton can put eexxtr
traa ffocus
ocus on eeach
ach
Edgar Allan Poe once said that polysyndeton adds dignity to what we it
item
em in a lis
listt.
say, a bit like the slow motion of a ceremony. These are desirable • Polysyndeton can also create the feeling that all of the elements
qualities for most orators, who seek to deliver a speech that is in the list are piling up, one right on top of another, with the result
memorable, powerful, and imparts a specific, desired message. of over
erwhelming
whelming the rreeader ffor
or rhe
rhettoric
orical
al eff
effec
ectt. Writers can use
this effect to communicate the intensity of an experience or the
Polysynde
olysyndetton in Pr
President
esident R
Ronald
onald R
Reeag
agan'
an'ss Speech on the urgency of an issue or idea.
Challeng
Challenger
er Disas
Disastter • Polysyndeton can maintain or disrupt established speech
Polysyndeton is used here to lend gravitas. Reagan delivered this patterns and, in doing so, cap
aptur
turee the audienc
audience'
e'ss aatttention
ention.
speech hours after the space shuttle Challenger broke apart during • Connecting a listed series with repeated conjunctions can mimic
takeoff: some unc
unconscious
onscious speech p paatterns
erns, particularly those
associated with childlike speech. Polysyndeton can therefore be
We will always remember them, these skilled professionals, used to expr
xpress
ess or ccap
aptur
turee childlik
childlikee eexuber
xuberanc
ancee.
scientists and adventurers, these artists and teachers and
• However, polysyndeton can also be used to create an effect
family men and women, and we will cherish each of their
opposite to that of childlike exuberance. When speech is slowed
stories—stories of triumph and bravery, stories of true
down and more focus is placed on the individual elements within
American heroes.
the sentence, the tteext ccan
an ffeel
eel mor
moree ssttately or dignified
dignified.
Polysyndeton inserts natural pauses into the speech. The breaks give
the reader time to envision these victims as a diverse group of
individuals, who had families, professions, and goals. Through

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◦ Peter Finch's famously unhinged monologue in The Network

OTHER RESOURCES is full of polysyndetons: "Punks are running wild in the street
and there’s nobody anywhere who seems to know what to do,
Check out these resources on other sites for even more information
and there’s no end to it. We know the air is unfit to breathe
about polysyndeton.
and our food is unfit to eat, and we sit watching our TVs while
• The Wikipedia Page on Polysyndeton: Somewhat abstract in its some local newscaster tells us that today we had fifteen
description, but it does offer a few good examples. homicides and sixty-three violent crimes, as if that’s the way
it’s supposed to be."
• The Dictionary Definition of Polysyndeton: A basic definition that
includes a bit on the etymology of polysyndeton and a couple of
helpful examples.
HO
HOWWT
TO
O CITE
• A Technical Explanation of Polysyndeton, focusing on grammar
and conjunctions more specifically.
ML
MLAA
• Polysynde
olysyndettons on YYou
ouTTube
Hogue, Chelsea. "Polysyndeton." LitCharts. LitCharts LLC, 5 May 2017.
◦ Katharine Hepburn's monologue in the film The Lion in Winter Web. 31 Aug 2017.
is an excellent example of how polysyndeton can emphasize
drama: "Oh, my piglets, we are the origins of war—not Chic
Chicag
ago
o Manual
history's forces, nor the times, nor justice, not the lack of it,
Hogue, Chelsea. "Polysyndeton." LitCharts LLC, May 5, 2017. Retrieved
nor causes, nor religions, nor ideas, nor kinds of government,
August 31, 2017. http://www.litcharts.com/literary-devices-and-
nor any other thing. We are the killers. We breed wars."
terms/polysyndeton.

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