Asyndeton is the deliberate omission or absence of words like “and,” “but,” and “or” from a series of clauses or sentences. This has various effects such as speeding up the rhythm, changing the tone, and adding emphasis.
Asyndeton examplesShe wakes up, goes to work, eats, sleeps, goes to work again.
Our administration has provided the economically challenged with jobs, with opportunities, with self-respect.
We went for a walk. We had some ice cream. We fed the ducks. We came back.
Watch, absorb, understand.
We can encounter asyndeton in various forms of writing, including plays, poems, speeches, and everyday language.
Polysyndeton is the repeated use of conjunctions like “and”, “or,” and “but” in close succession, particularly where these are not necessary. This is to create emphasis, rhythm, and a feeling of urgency in a text.
Polysyndeton exampleHe went to church, and walked about the streets, and watched the people hurrying to and fro, and patted children on the head, and questioned beggars, and looked down into the kitchens of houses, and up to the windows and found that everything could yield him pleasure.
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
Polysyndeton is used in various forms of writing, including novels, poems, and song lyrics.
Literary devices are the techniques and strategies authors use to enrich their writing and take it beyond the literal meaning of words. They serve various purposes and can operate at the sentence level or even permeate an entire literary work. Common literary devices include metaphors, similes, and irony.
Examples of literary devicesAfter a long trek, the cold water was inviting me to jump in. [personification]
All our requests for a budget increase have been met with deafening silence. [oxymoron]
The fire crackled and hissed. [onomatopoeia]
TipAre you looking to add more creative language to your writing? Try QuillBot’s free Paraphraser, which offers you alternative wording for every word and phrase.
Satire is the use of humor, exaggeration, irony, or other similar techniques to criticize people, institutions, or society as a whole. The purpose of satire is to expose human flaws, often with the intent to inspire change.
Satire exampleSatirical news programs like The Daily Show and Last Week Tonight use humor, irony, and exaggeration to engage viewers while providing a critical perspective on current affairs.
Satire can be found in various forms of artistic expression, including literature, film, and television shows.
Personification is the attribution of human qualities to nonhuman entities, such as animals, objects, or even abstract concepts. This technique is used to create more vivid and engaging descriptions, set the mood, or convey emotions.
Personification examplesMy phone died. (My phone ran out of battery.)
That piece of cake is calling my name. (That piece of cake looks delicious. I want to eat it.)
The flowers were begging for water. (The flowers needed water.)
The train sighed as it came to a halt. (The train braked as it came to a halt.)
Personification can be found in various forms of literature, including poetry, prose, and drama, as well as everyday language.
Litotes is a phrase that expresses an idea by negating its opposite. Examples include the common expressions “not half bad” to mean “good” and “not hard” to mean “easy.” Litotes is often used in everyday conversations and literature. It serves various purposes, such as conveying modesty, softening criticism, expressing irony, or subtly emphasizing a point.
Litotes examplesRunning a marathon in under two hours is no small accomplishment.
