Read, translate, analyse the following examples paying attention to Suspense and its stylistic function.

1. All this Mrs. Snagsby, as an injured woman and the friend of Mrs. Chadband, and the follower of Mr. Chadband, and the mourner of the late Mr. Tulkinghorn, is here to certify. (Ch.Dickens)

2. I have been accused of bad taste. This has disturbed me, not so much for my own sake (since I am used to the slights and arrows of outrageous fortune) as for the sake of criticism in general. (S.Maughm)

3. No one seemed to take proper pride in his work: from plumbers who were simply thieves to, say, newspapermen (he seemed to think them a specially intellectual class) who never by any chance gave a correct version of the simplest affair. (J. Carey)

4. ". . .The day on which I take the happiest and best; step of my life—the day on which I shall be a man more exulting and more enviable than any other man in the world—the day on which I gave Bleak House its little mistress—shall be next month, then," said my guardian. (Ch.Dickens)

5. "If you had any part—I don't say what—in this attack," pursued the boy, "or if you know anything about it—I don't say how much—or if you know who did it—I go no closer—you did an injury to me that's never to be forgiven" (Ch.Dickens)

6. Corruption could not spread with so much success, though reduced into a system, and though some ministers, with equal impudence and folly, avowed it by themselves and their advocates, to be the principal expedient by which they governed; if a long and almost unobserved progression of causes and effects did not prepare the conjuncture. (Bol.)

POLYSYNDETON. ASYNDETON. (TYPES OF CONNECTION)

The type of connection between the words, clauses or larger parts of the sentence can be a very expressive means of narration as it creates the rhythm, tempo, atmosphere and mood of the text or book. This rhythm can be monotonous, slow, boring, dull, routine or, on the contrary, lively, dynamic, energetic, calling, businesslike, pushing, vigorous, aggressive. Most typical syndeton are polysyndeton and syndeton.

Polysyndeton

Polysyndeton is the use of several conjunctions in close succession, especially where some might be omitted (as in "he ran and jumped and laughed for joy"). Polysyndetonis an insistent repetition of a connective between words, phrases or clauses in an utterance.

It is a syntactical stylistic device used to achieve a variety of effects: it can increase the rhythm of prose, speed or slow its pace, convey solemnity or even ecstasy and childlike exuberance.

Ex. The citizens of the small town demanded a new sheriff and mayor, hoping the change would lead to the elimination of deception and fraud and corruption.

The purpose of the conjunction and is to link two or more words,

phrases, or clauses, but, importantly, and signifies that the items

that are linked are equal in some way. In business, academic, or

creative writing, each word or group of words connected by the

and is more emphasized than it would be without the and.

The primary effect and stylistic function of polysyndeton is to create a certain rhythm of narration which usually agrees with the atmosphere of the whole text. Besides it organizes the text emphasizing and arranging the enumerated items. The latter receive a fairly equal beat.

Take the following example, for instance, which could be found in a recommendation letter.

Ex. John West has excellent organizational skills and superb interpersonal skills and outstanding written communication skills.

Rhythmically, polysyndeton is not only an equalizer of tempo but also an equalizer of meaning. In this case, polysyndeton creates a feeling of endless continuity or breathlessness because all of those things are happening one right after the other.

Polysyndeton can also be used effectively in speeches for the sake of both – rhythm and emphasis, as shown in the following example from

William F. Buckley:

Ex. “In years gone by, there were in every community men and women who spoke the language of duty and morality and loyalty and obligation.”

Ernest Hemingway used polysyndeton in the following passage from “After the Storm” to juxtapose many things: destruction, darkness, death, description of scenery, and personal actions. They all are based on each other and are thus connected and emotionally dulling as they act as a build-up of details that work together in giving the full scene in a way that marks them all as equals (meaning that nature’s destruction is as meaningful as finding a boat):

I said, "Who killed him?" and he said, "I don't know who killed him but he's dead all right," and it was dark and there was water standing in the street and no lights and windows broke and boats all up in the town and trees blown down and everything all blown and I got a skiff and went out and found my boat where I had her inside Mango Key and she was all right only she was full of water.

Unlike the previous example where polysyndeton creates a feeling of endless continuity and the progression is logical, the second example creates a feeling of the reader’s being emotionally overwhelmed as all of these descriptions are mixed in with the narrative progression.

Thus polysyndeton plays a very important stylistic function in organizing the text rhythmically, meaningfully, logically and emotionally and creates the rhythm adequate to the atmosphere and tempo of the whole narration making it expressively complete.

Asyndeton

Asyndeton is a stylistic device in which conjunctions are deliberately omitted from a series of related clauses. One of the most famous examples of asyndeton is attributed to Julius Caesar: I came, I saw, I conquered.

The statement has acquired precise, confident and final touch due to the asyndetic type of connection. All items are equally important for the author and logically expressed in the only possible order which made this phrase a familiar world known quotation. Its use can have the effect of speeding up the rhythm of a passage and making a single idea more memorable.

Asyndeton has a stylistic effect that is quite different from that of polysyndeton. If the effect of polysyndeton is to slow down the rhythm, the effect of asyndeton is most often the opposite though both are found in all types of narration.

Due to its rhythmic effect, which is usually well perceived by the listeners asyndetonis found in most effective speeches:

We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our Island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender. (Winston Churchill. We Shall Fight on the Beaches)

It goes without saying that asyndeton is not the only device which produces the necessary impact but it makes the intention of this text resolute, doubtless and straightforward which inspires the listeners. But it is the rhythm which creates this solemn and totally convincing appeal to the nation at the crucial moment of its history.

Asyndeton plays practically the same stylistic effect in B.Obama’s inaugural speech:

The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.

Finally, in cases of fiction, asyndetoncan be used in action scenes to make readers feel as if they are in the fast-paced moment of the character(s):

1. Why, they've got 10 volumes on suicide alone. Suicide by race, by colour, by occupation, by sex, by seasons of the year, by time of day. Suicide, how committed: by poisons, by firearms, by drowning, by leaps. Suicide by poison, subdivided by types of poison, such as corrosive, irritant, systemic, gaseous, narcotic, alkaloid, protein, and so forth. Suicide by leaps, subdivided by leaps from high places, under the wheels of trains, under the wheels of trucks, under the feet of horses, from steamboats. But Mr. Norton, of all the cases on record, there's not one single case of suicide by leap from the rear end of a moving train. (Barton Keyes. Double Indentity)

2. An empty stream, a great silence, an impenetrable forest. The air was thick, warm, heavy, sluggish. (Joseph Conrad. Heart of Darkness)

The tempo in both examples leaves not a shade of a doubt in the reality – so direct, transparent and true to life it is thanks to the asyndetic type of connection of the enumerated items. The first text sounds rather confident as the speaker is a sure professional who knows everything about the matter in question. The type of connection here creates this absolutely reliable and convincing atmosphere of sophistication and experience. Besides the rhythm is neither monotonous, nor fussy and fidgety but regular and steady. Together with a choice of words (professionalisms), repeatition asyndeton moulds an unmistakable business-like feeling.

The humorous way to illustrate the stylistic difference between asyndeton and polysyndeton is the following: imagine the final countdown before launching a spaceship which contains conjunctions – And ten, and nine, and eight, and seven, and six, etc. and the asyndetic one – Ten, Nine, Eight, Seven, Six, etc. The first countdown excludes the effect of any tensity, seriousness and sobriety of the moment. Vice versa it suggests enervation and calm. Asyndetic countdown inspires tension and constraint which comes up to the event.

Thus asyndeton’s main stylistic function is to create precise and cool, businesslike and terse rhythm which reflects and supports the general atmosphere of the narration.

Date: 2015-12-24; view: 2177