Polysyndeton is a figure of speech in the Portuguese language, which consists of the repetitive and excessive use of some conjunctions between sentences sequentially.
The polysyndeton is classified as a construction figure among figures of speech. Its use is common to convey the sense of greater expressiveness in the message, whether through oral or written language. Some Portuguese language scholars classify the polysyndeton as a type of anaphora.
To learn more about the meaning of anaphora, Click here.
The etymology of this word is in the Greek term polysondeton, which can be loosely translated as “multiple links”.
See also: O meaning of Figures of Language.
Remember that all clauses with compound periods and that have conjunctions are classified as syndetic, while prayers without connectives are called asyndetic.
Polysyndeton example
“The poor bourgeoisie/and the children of the rich bourgeoisie/and the women of the people, and the washerwomen from the neighborhood are arriving.” (Manuel Bandeira)
"I sing, and sing the present, and also the past and the future." (Fernando Pessoa)
"It lacks the ground at its feet: it recoils and runs, staggers and cries, struggles and bleeds, and rolls, and falls, and breaks, and dies." (Olav Bilac)
Polysyndeton and Asyndeton
They are both figures of speech, but with totally opposite functions.
While the polysyndeton boils down to excessive and consecutive use of connectives between clauses, the asyndeton consists of suppress the conjunctions, replacing them with commas or other punctuation marks.
Learn more about meaning of asyndeton.
