Rhetoric & FiguresIntermediate
Asyndeton
Expected conjunctions are omitted between parallel words, phrases, or clauses.
Principle
Omission can make a sequence strike faster.
Takeaways
- It accelerates rhythm and can create compression or urgency.
- The missing conjunction makes items feel stacked or simultaneous.
- Too much can make prose clipped in an unintended way.
Overview
Asyndeton removes conjunctions where grammar or convention might expect them. The result is a faster, leaner sequence whose relations are carried by punctuation, order, and rhythm.
Examples
- He came, saw, understood too late.
- The room held smoke, cards, silence, a gun.