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Asyndeton

Device
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A rhetorical device omitting conjunctions between words, phrases, or clauses to create speed, urgency, or stark juxtaposition (e.g., “Veni, vidi, vici”).

Detailed Definition
Asyndeton is the deliberate omission of conjunctions between words, phrases, or clauses, accelerating rhythm and heightening emotional intensity; in poetry, it creates breathless urgency or stark juxtaposition, as in Whitman’s “I came, I saw, I conquered”-style accumulations.
Example
Example in poetry:
Asyndeton in Caesar: "Veni, vidi, vici"; Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address: "government of the people, by the people, for the people"; Ginsberg’s "Moloch! Moloch! Moloch!" omits conjunctions for rhythmic intensity; Shakespeare’s "Othello": "Pride, pomp, and circumstance of glorious war!"; Modern example: "She ran, jumped, fell, rose, won"—asyndeton accelerates pace and urgency
Additional Notes
Omission of conjunctions between clauses or list items. Creates rapid, breathless effect. Opposite of polysyndeton. Common in urgent or emotional passages. Greek term; rhetorical device frequently used in poetry.
Other Meanings of “Asyndeton”
Also Known As
Connective omission conjunctionless syntax paratactic construction linkage deletion without connectives
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