Writing Focus: Polysyndeton

There are few words in the English language that seem more complicated at first glance than polysyndeton does. However, the premise behind this literary device is extremely simple! In this week’s Writing Focus, we take a look at this nifty little concept.

What Is Polysyndeton?

In simple terms, polysyndeton is when a sentence uses conjunctions to link together sentences when they are not needed. For example, instead of using commas or other punctuation marks, a sentence that uses polysyndeton may choose to use 'and' instead. Although this may seem rather counter-productive, using this method can change the feel of your sentence.

Tips

Polysyndeton is a way of writing which should only be used extremely sparingly in order to have effect. Using polysyndeton constantly can give your writing a monotonous tone and can also make it extremely difficult to read. Ensure that you use a varied mix of sentence structures around polysyndeton to make sure that you’re not falling into the trap of over-using it! It is also a good idea to reserve the long, languid sentences that polysyndeton produces for specific areas of your story — in other words, use it for effect only.

Polysyndeton can give your writing an almost poetic feel to it, so if you’re looking to describe something in a dreamlike tone, this can be achieved by swapping commas for 'and'! After you finish writing, ensure that you read over the sentence to make sure it sounds okay. Reading sentences aloud will allow you to figure out whether polysyndeton works well, or whether the sentence needs re-writing.

Prompts

Looking to include a little polysyndeton in your stories? Check out these prompts below!

1. Your character is lying on their back, listening to the sounds of summer all around them. Using polysyndeton and a mix of other sentence structures, describe the scene they are seeing / hearing.
2. Describe the descent of a diver towards a swimming pool using polysyndeton to emphasise how time seems to slow down as they do so.

The premise of polysyndeton is simple, and the way it works is even simpler. However, this little technique can leave you with absolutely breathtaking results. Why not try it out today?

Special thanks to elixir and silent hearts. for editing!