Asyndeton (UK: /æˈsɪndɪtən, ə-/, US: /əˈsɪndətɒn, ˌeɪ-/;[1][2] from the Greek: ἀσύνδετον, "unconnected", sometimes called asyndetism) is a literary scheme in which one or several conjunctions are deliberately omitted from a series of related clauses.[3][4] Examples include veni, vidi, vici and its English translation "I came, I saw, I conquered". Its use can have the effect of speeding up the rhythm of a passage and making a single idea more memorable. Asyndeton may be contrasted with syndeton (syndetic coordination) and polysyndeton, which describe the use of one or multiple coordinating conjunctions, respectively.
More generally, in grammar, an asyndetic coordination is a type of coordination in which no coordinating conjunction is present between the conjuncts.[5]
Quickly, resolutely, he strode into the bank.
No coordinator is present here, but the conjoins are still coordinated. Asyndetic coordination is the omission of conjunctions between words or phrases that would typically be connected by conjunctions such as "and" or "or." In this sentence, there are no coordinating conjunctions that are omitted. "Quickly" and "resolutely" are simply two adverbs modifying the verb "strode," but they are not being coordinated with each other. Therefore, there is no asyndetic coordination in this sentence.
Aristotle wrote in his Rhetoric that this device was more effective in spoken oratory than in written prose:
Aristotle also believed that asyndeton can be used effectively in endings of works, and he himself employs the device in the final passage of the Rhetoric:
Several notable examples can be found in American political speeches:
Another frequently used example is Winston Churchill's address, "We shall fight on the beaches":
An asyndeton of "or" before a polysyndeton of "and":
